It’s official! Congress has passed the American Rescue Plan Act, and President Biden is expected to sign it into law on Friday.
The bill includes a number of provisions that will help low-income Americans thrive and stay in their homes, including an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits of $300 per week until early September; stimulus payments of up to $1400; and a large expansion of the child tax credit that is expected to decrease childhood poverty over the next year.
The bill also includes $40 billion for housing relief. Here's a summary of those provisions.
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$21.55 billion in emergency rental assistance through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF). The structure of the program is largely similar to the funds allocated in the last relief package with a few changes.
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$5 billion to create an estimated 70,000 new emergency housing vouchers through September 2023. These emergency vouchers are similar to section 8 housing choice vouchers with two differences: 1) the definition of allowable administrative fees has been broadened to include security deposit assistance and other support, and 2) the vouchers are targeted to people experiencing homelessness, at-risk of homelessness, recently homeless, or fleeing domestic violence.
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Almost $10 billion to establish a homeowner relief fund administered through the Treasury Department to provide direct mortgage assistance, and financial assistance to pay housing related costs, utilities, insurance, or HOA fees.
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$5 billion for people experiencing homelessness to provide rental assistance and supportive services, to develop affordable rental housing, and to help acquire non-congregate shelters to be converted into permanent affordable housing or used as emergency shelters.
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$100M for rural rental assistance. This assistance is targeted to individuals in rural communities who do not currently receive rental assistance from USDA, but need to compensate for loss of income.
- $39 million for USDA Rural Development direct loans
- $20 million for fair housing activities
