By Alex P. Vidal
“Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart.”—Matthew Desmond
ON December 31, 2020, Veronica, 77, a semi-retired pastor and former worker in the United Nations in Manhattan, and her son, Jaime, 51, are among the 6.7 million Americans who could be evicted from their apartments when the federal eviction moratorium ends.
Mother and son, both from Pampanga in the Philippines, have been living in New York City for 40 years, and are on the brink of losing their housing if Congress will not pass the second coronavirus relief package soon.
“Marami na kaming kinontak dito sa lugar ninyo (Elmhurst) just in case ma evict kami maghahanap na lang kami ng malipatan dito (We plan to transfer here in Elmhurst just in case we will be evicted. We have started to contact some people here),” opined Veronica, who sat near the Elmhurst’s Broadway-Whitney bus stop waiting for Jaime who “met with his friends” in the neighborhood.
Lawmakers could still pass a scaled-down stimulus bill when they return to Washington, D.C. on November 30, but most economists believe it’s unlikely to match the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into law in March and provided $1,200 checks to most Americans.
-o0o-
Democrats and Republicans reportedly remain far apart on several key issues, such as providing hundreds of billions in funding for states and cities that have been hit by declining tax revenues amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Like Veronica and Jaime, 67-year-old Teodoro has also started to look for a possible relocation in Queens if the December 31 deadline beckons and no relief assistance will come soon.
“Doon na muna kami sa dati kong apartment if matuloy ang eviction (We will transfer to our old apartment if the eviction will take place),” said Teodoro, born in Marilao, Bulacan in the Philippines.
Teodoro, a retired worker at La Guardia Airport, lives with her “sickly” wife in Woodhaven.
“I take the 53 bus to come here to look for our old apartment,” he said.
That would approach the number of people who lost their homes to foreclosure during the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing recession, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the University of Arizona.
Even if Congress passes an aid bill early next month, it could take weeks for the IRS to electronically deposit the funds into people’s bank accounts, much less mail out millions of paper checks, CBS News reported.
It reportedly took between one and three months for most Americans to get their so-called Economic Impact Payment after the bill was signed into law this spring.
“That would leave many households and businesses hanging, with millions set to lose their unemployment benefits by year-end and nationwide eviction moratoriums lapsing in the new year,” said the CBS News report.
“The number of Americans applying for jobless aid rose for the second week in a row, a sign that the economic recovery is losing speed.”
-o0o-
House Democrats had passed an updated Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus and Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act on October 1, but the $2.2 trillion bill ran into opposition from Republican lawmakers.
Among the main disagreements: Whether the federal government should help cash-strapped cities and states weather the massive economic blow caused by the pandemic. The crisis could cause a $434 billion federal budget shortfall through 2022 under the most severe scenario, which would include a resurgence in the virus and a lack of more stimulus aid, according to Moody’s Analytics.
The HEROES Act would have provided more than $400 billion in funding for state and local governments, but Republicans took issue with that aid, including President Donald Trump, who has objected to what he calls “bailouts” for states helmed by Democrats.
“But the fact is many Republican-helmed states and cities are facing budget shortfalls as well, including Ohio and Texas, with the latter staring into a $4.6 billion budget hole,” observed Aimee Picchi.
Democrats and Republicans also remain far apart on the issue of unemployment aid, with Democrats pushing for a renewal of the extra $600 in weekly pay provided under the CARES Act.
Republicans have argued that enhanced jobless benefits are too generous and dissuade people from returning to work, despite a lack of economic data that supports the contention.
More than a dozen New York City nonprofits currently have contracts to provide supportive housing for homeless or unstably housed individuals who have mental/psychiatric disabilities or are high-cost Medicaid users.
The criteria to live in these apartments varies based on the government agency funding them.
Affordable housing has income and credit requirements and it is for various income ranges.
Applications are picked through a lottery system.
When an applicant is chosen through the lottery, they have made it to the next step of the process and have to go to an interview to submit required documents.
Being picked for an interview does not guarantee an apartment.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, is a former editor of two dailies in Iloilo, Philippines)
