Meet the Needs of Our Most Vulnerable Citizens During the COVID Crisis
The COVID crisis continues to take an especially huge toll on persons on the margins of our society – those experiencing homelessness and poverty, the large majority of whom are persons of color. Congress recently passed a COVID-19 relief package providing payments to individuals, enhanced unemployment insurance and SNAP benefits. The package also extended the CDC eviction moratorium through January and included critical housing provisions like $25 billion in emergency rental assistance.
It is estimated that $852,182,000 will be allocated to Pennsylvania to provide critical rental assistance to tenants and landlords. Pennsylvania and Philadelphia can create their own programs to assist tenants and landlords impacted by COVID-19.
Please tell our state and local leaders to get these critical funds to those Pennsylvania residents most at risk of homelessness.
The best way to fight COVID for people at risk of and experiencing homelessness is to connect them to decent, affordable homes. We need our elected officials to fund safe, secure, affordable housing paired with appropriate services as part of our national effort to prevent the spread of COVID in our city and our nation.
As resources come from the federal government to our state and to Philadelphia, we urge Governor Wolf, Mayor Kenney and City Council to work with the homeless provider community and people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental illness to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens receive needed housing and health services.
Email Governor Wolf, Mayor Kenney, and City Councilmembers to ask them to use federal COVID relief funds to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Philadelphians, and to prevent and end homelessness.
