Congressman Cleaver Calls on Non-Profits and Landlords to Mobilize CARES Act Funding to Prevent Evictions
(Kansas City, MO.) – Last week, with the CDC's eviction moratorium set to expire on December 31st, United States Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) called on Missouri Governor Mike Parson and the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) to expedite the implementation of the Emergency Rental Arrears Program in hopes of averting an impending eviction crisis. Heeding the Congressman's call, the MHDC plans to launch this rental assistance program later this week. The Rental Arrears Program, which provides one-time payments of up to six months of rental arrears directly to landlords, is in addition to the non-profit grantee program which has been assisting tenants since the onset of the pandemic. Under the new Rental Arrears Program, landlords must agree to not evict tenants for the next four months as we move towards winter. With nearly $30 million available in rental assistance between these two programs, including $13.3 million currently allocated to non-profits, Congressman Cleaver is encouraging both non-profits and landlords to take advantage of these critical programs.
Since the pandemic struck the nation in mid-March, nearly 2,500 renters in the Greater Kansas City area have been faced with eviction filings. With the CDC's eviction moratorium soon to expire, this number may rise significantly in the coming months.
In an effort to avert such a crisis, CARES Act ESG funds have been and will continue to be distributed by the Missouri Housing Development Commission through two programs. The standard ESG non-profit grantee program, which has been in place since the pandemic began, allows non-profits to submit applications to the MHDC to secure funding to provide homelessness prevention services. Currently, there are $13.3 million in CARES Act ESG funds still available through this program to assist tenants struggling with monthly rent payments. Additionally, MHDC has allocated another$15 million in federal funding for its Rental Arrears Program, which is designed to prevent evictions while alleviating the burden of financial debt by providing one-time payments of up to six months of rental arrears to landlords who have not received rent checks in recent months.
"The nation is in the midst of a public health crisis that has exposed how fragile the state of stability is for many Americans," said Congressman Cleaver. "We must do all that we can to keep roofs over the heads of our neighbors, and this effort will require all hands on deck. If we're serious about preventing an eviction crisis, we need non-profits and landlords alike to utilize all available CARES Act funding. I want to thank the people at the Missouri Housing Development Commission for all of their hard work since the beginning of the pandemic aimed at keeping people in their homes. By quickly implementing the Rental Arrears Program, they will help even more tenants remain sheltered as the pandemic continues."
"With nearly 300,000 rental households in the Kansas City metro, we applaud Congressman Cleaver, Governor Parson, and the Missouri Housing Development Commission for expeditiously implementing the Emergency Rental Arrears Program to provide additional rental assistance to individuals and families in need. In Missouri's Fifth Congressional District alone, over 30,000 households spend more than 50% of their income on housing costs, including rent and utilities," said Geoff Jolley, Executive Director of LISC Greater Kansas City. "Even despite the CDC's temporary eviction moratorium, which ends on December 31st, nearly 1,000 evictions have been filed in Jackson County since the moratorium started on September 4th. As we approach the holiday season, these funds are desperately needed to help stabilize our communities. We know that this is only one of many solutions required to assist tenants, landlords, and small businesses thru this pandemic, but additional rental assistance is a critical component."
"We are all navigating these unprecedented times together and need to be a community of "we" as opposed to "me", said Emmet Pierson, Jr., President & CEO of Community Builders of Kansas City. "Community Builders of Kansas City, to the maximum extent possible, works with our residents to keep them in place and not face the eviction process."
"Westside Housing Organization is working hard this holiday season to keep families in their homes. This is vital as it allows families to maintain stability in their home by ensuring their kids stay in the same school and allowing them to focus on the overall health and wellbeing of the family," said Gloria Ortiz-Fisher, Executive Director of Westside Housing Organization. "It is hard enough to care for loved ones when or if f they contract COVID, but it is unfathomable to expect families to navigate eviction in the midst of a pandemic. For the sake of all humankind, let's be both human and kind. Minimize eviction and keep families in their homes."
Individuals seeking rental assistance or other support are encouraged to contact the United Way 2-1-1 Assistance Center to connect with the various non-profits that receive the aforementioned funds through MHDC programs.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee; Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy; member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; member of the Committee on Homeland Security; and a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. For more information, please contact Haydin Brady at 202-538-4326 or Haydin.Brady@mail.house.gov