With housing payments and rent due for many Americans today on the first of the month, Representatives Kathleen Rice (NY-04), Denny Heck (WA-10), Scott Peters (CA-52), and Norma Torres (CA-35) led a letter to Congressional leadership in both chambers calling for the inclusion of key mortgage relief and housing assistance measures in the next COVID-19 relief bill. All four Representatives are members of the New Democrat Coalition Housing Task Force, with Torres and Heck serving as co-chairs.
Specifically, the letter requests that critical housing provisions included in the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, which passed the House of Representatives on May 15, be incorporated into the forthcoming compromise legislation that is currently being negotiated by the House and Senate. These include:
- Expanding the mortgage forbearance and foreclosure relief for homeowners and multifamily property owners with federally backed mortgages in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
- Security (CARES) Act to include all covered mortgage loans.
- Explicitly specifying the loan modifications and loss mitigation available to homeowners following a mortgage moratorium to prevent any homeowner from facing a lump sum payment.
- Extending the 120-day eviction moratorium provided under the CARES Act to one year.
- Providing funding for rental assistance and emergency housing programs to protect renters and support individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
“In May, we passed the HEROES Act which would have provided urgent assistance to these struggling families,” said Rep. Kathleen Rice. “Expanded mortgage relief and housing assistance is long overdue, and I strongly urge leadership in the House and Senate to include it in the next relief package.”
