April 08, 2021

States will receive nearly $700 million in federal grants for low-income housing from the Housing Trust Fund—more than double the $322,564,267 disbursed last year. The Housing Trust Fund, administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, uses revenue generated from federally backed home mortgage companies to fund the program. The increase results from the recent spike in mortgage lending. The funds will be used for the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and restoration of low-income housing. 

Many Americans have received all three stimulus payments, but some who would benefit most from the support have yet to receive any because of misinformation, bureaucratic hurdles, and inability to access the funds. People experiencing homelessness often lack a bank account, mailing address, phone, or identification, so they’ve had a difficult time obtaining the payments. “There’s this great intention to lift people out of poverty more and give them support, and all of that’s wonderful, but the way people have to access it doesn’t really fit with how most really low–income people are interacting with the government,” said Beth Hofmeister, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society’s Homeless Rights Project.

Renters are still being displaced, despite the extension of the federal eviction moratorium until June 30. Across the county, landlords are using loopholes, and some judges are refusing to acknowledge the nationwide ban, forcing families out of their homes. The Eviction Lab found that since the pandemic hit, 284,490 evictions have been filed, 163,7000 of them since September 4, when the federal ban went into effect.

Recently, Los Angeles public officials sent police to shut down one of the city’s largest homeless encampments, Echo Park Lake, after complaints from nearby housed residents. The decision went against Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance that says governments shouldn’t disperse encampments that help limit the spread of COVID-19. In addition, city workers offered encampment residents free hotel rooms under Project Roomkey, prioritizing them over others who may be more vulnerable to the virus. Benjamin Oreskes, a Los Angeles Times reporter, said many displaced Echo Park Lake residents went back to the street, and he worries this could set a precedent for other cities. “We know what works. We know that getting people off the streets has to do with getting them into housing. And more resources being brought to the situation is the first place to start,” said Oreskes.