Senator Murray: “This is the right step by the CDC – keeping people in their homes, particularly as the Delta variant is surging, is absolutely a matter of public health.”
For more information on how to access federal rental assistance see more from the U.S. Department of Treasury and Washington State Department of Commerce
Tenants and landlords can also use the CFPB’s new locator tool to find out where they can apply for emergency rental assistance.
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new order for an eviction moratorium through October 3, 2021. The order applies in counties experiencing substantial and high levels of community transmission levels of SARS-CoV-2. A county level view of community transmission from the CDC can be found here.
“We’re fortunate to have an eviction bridge in place in Washington state but the latest eviction moratorium from the CDC will bring additional relief and importantly it will help prevent a national eviction crisis. This is the right step by the CDC—keeping people in their homes, particularly as the Delta variant is surging, is absolutely a matter of public health.
“In these next few weeks, state and local governments must act urgently and do everything in their power to distribute federal relief to renters and landlords. We had a housing and homelessness crisis before the pandemic—and the eviction moratorium has kept a lid on a worsening situation, but until cities, counties, Tribes, and states can get federal rental and mortgage assistance out the door, we have to do whatever we can to keep people housed.
“As we move forward to pass a budget resolution, I am determined to secure a historic federal investment in affordable housing to make sure every family can afford a roof over their head.”
Senator Murray called on the administration to pursue all possible avenues to prevent evictions on Saturday when it became clear the national eviction moratorium would lapse without administrative action.
Through the American Rescue Plan, the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program at the U.S. Department of Treasury provided more than $46 billion to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities. The funds are provided directly to states, U.S. territories, local governments, and Indian tribes or Tribally Designated Housing Entities. Grantees use the funds to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs to distribute these funds to renters and property owners.
For more information on available rental assistance, Washington state families can visit:
- The U.S. Department of Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program page
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s locater tool to find rental assistance programs
- The Washington State Department of Commerce CARES Act and State Rent Assistance page
The American Rescue Plan passed in March after a year of Senator Murray advocating for increased housing assistance to combat the effects of the pandemic on renters, homeowners, and people experiencing homelessness, and also includes more than $400 million in rental assistance and nearly $100 million for housing and services to support people experiencing homelessness in Washington state specifically.
In the December COVID relief package, Senator Murray helped to secure $507 million for Washington state and $25 billion nationally for states, Tribes, and territories to provide rental and utility assistance, and last year, Senator Murray helped secure over $100 million in Emergency Solutions Grants for Washington state through the CARES Act, which provided a critical lifeline for people and families experiencing or facing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Senator Murray has already announced more than $100 million in federal awards to combat housing insecurity and invest in public housing infrastructure across Washington state.
###
English 
Spanish