Rent is Due Soon, and Americans Need Housing Help. Mitch McConnell Must Act.
Since March, the governor of Hawaii has signed 10 emergency orders as a result of COVID-19. Early provisions included a stay at home order and a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine for travelers which was necessary to keep us safe. While Hawaii is cautiously reopening, our local economy has been devastated by this pandemic, and we still have measures in place including social distancing and the wearing of masks for public health and safety. The economic impact cannot be overstated, and the economic recovery will take time.
One in four Hawaii residents are out of work, as are 45 million workers across the rest of the United States. But the bills are still due. In less than two weeks, Hawaii residents will join millions of Americans in once again scraping together their rent and mortgage payments. Many will be forced to make impossible decisions as they consider making those payments or defaulting, falling further behind.
In April, Governor Ige in his fifth supplementary proclamation ordered a moratorium that prevents anyone living in a residential dwelling who fails to pay rent or their lease from being evicted. The governor has extended the eviction moratorium four times, and while the order has been extended through July, families continue to grapple with housing challenges.
Hawaii residents like Shannon Jones are feeling the crunch. After his bar was closed due to stay-at-home orders, he told Civil Beat in April that finding rent money would be a challenge. And Hawaii News Now reported in late May that foreclosures were not part of the eviction moratorium, forcing retirees Larry and Caroldeen Tinay to live in their truck. The couple are worried about how they will be able to social distance or self-isolate during this public health crisis.
Tourism numbers remain at a fraction of the state’s normal rates and more than one in four Hawaii workers are unemployed. Like all states, Hawaii can’t afford to go it alone. This crisis calls for serious federal action to mitigate the consequences of mass evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness. Assistance in our state is particularly urgent — Hawaii has one of the most expensive median home prices in the country. Kahauiki Village and other partnerships offer rapid re-housing solutions for families or individuals experiencing homelessness, but the scale of this crisis demands federal action.
Our state is a long way from bouncing back. And our community faces unique challenges. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) notes that Native Hawaiian families have low homeownership rates, leaving them vulnerable to eviction — and Native Hawaiians have lower per capita incomes than the general population, meaning resources to address financial emergencies are diminished.
Provisions I supported in the CARES Act prevented Hawaii residents from losing their homes by imposing a moratorium on evictions from foreclosures on single family homes with federally-backed mortgages, but that provision will sunset on August 31. Additional funding in other coronavirus relief packages boosted rental assistance for states, and also provided shelter for already vulnerable communities like those experiencing homelessness by funding homeless service providers.
With the pandemic still raging, social distancing is still needed and having shelter is essential to slow virus transmission. Congress can’t take a pause just because the most recent jobs report showed unemployment levels were less devastating than anticipated in May.
In mid-May, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, legislation that — if passed and signed into law — would provide $100 billion for states to distribute for rental assistance, as well as an additional $11.5 billion to continue to help homeless communities across the country. I have repeatedly called on Majority Leader McConnell to bring the bill to the Senate floor — and I have cosponsored the Senate version of the bill with those same provisions. I also cosponsored legislation Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) introduced to provide state housing agencies $75 billion to support foreclosure prevention efforts.
Families shouldn’t be punished for not having the savings to withstand this unprecedented crisis. So, as Mitch McConnell continues to drag his feet, to take a pause, and delay helping people across the country, Hawaii is stepping up to deliver emergency assistance. The City and County of Honolulu recently established the COVID-19 Hardship Relief Fund, which would provide up to $1,000 per month to cover housing costs, including rent and utilities. Aloha United Way has long provided emergency rental assistance, and has partnered with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to start an emergency rental assistance program. Helping Hands Hawaii and Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. both allow residents to apply for financial assistance for essential needs. And the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii has compiled a long list of information and resources for renters and homeowners. But over the long term, these actions cannot take the place of necessary federal support.
We don’t have to look far back in our country’s history to find devastation due to an economic crisis and poor housing policy. The housing crisis following the 2008 financial crisis — plus the addition of a pandemic — should inform the scope and scale of our response. And this pandemic makes clear that the federal response should not end with housing assistance — small businesses, students, and families still need help from the federal government. Congress must act boldly. This is no time to take a pause.
