Senator Murray Announces Major Federal Housing Investments in Washington State to Address Impacts of Coronavirus Pandemic

Washington state awarded more than $50 million in first round of federal funding to support critical housing needs during the current coronavirus pandemic

A senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray helped secure these funds in the recently passed coronavirus relief bill, known as the CARES Act

More than half of these awards come through the Community Development Block (CDBG) Grants, which Senator Murray has successfully fought to protect

Additional funding comes through the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program and the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program

Senator Murray: “We know public health crises are especially hard on individuals and families navigating housing insecurity”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the first round of housing awards for Washington state from the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The awards, which total $52,234,830 for cities and counties across Washington state, will be distributed through three Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant programs—the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, and the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. This funding will help local governments to flexibly address community housing needs as they continue working to keep people safe during the coronavirus, especially those facing housing insecurity, who are at increased risk of exposure and transmission and often lack a safe place to self-isolate.

“We know public health crises are especially hard on individuals and families navigating housing insecurity, and I’ve heard repeatedly from folks across the state who are hurting during this difficult time,” Senator Murray said. “I’m glad we fought to get these much-needed funds in the package and to our state to help keep people off the streets and in safe, secure homes, but this is only a first step—we need to do much more to meet the deep needs of families in our state, and I’m going to keep fighting to make sure the federal government does its part.”

The majority of the funding is awarded through the CDBG program, which Senator Murray has consistently championed and defended against drastic cuts by the Trump Administration, and provides flexible funding for the acquisition and construction of secure, affordable housing for people and families in need. Additional funding was awarded through the ESG program, which funds rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention efforts, including short term rental assistance, construction and management of specialized shelters, and staffing support, all of which helps manage the coronavirus within and outside of homeless shelters. Funding is also going to the HOPWA program, which provides critical stable housing for people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families, who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. In total, $34,514,923 was awarded through the CDBG program, $17,116,532 through the ESG program, and $603,375 through the HOPWA program. The funding from these grant programs is distributed on a formula basis.

Senator Murray fought to include increased funding for federal housing programs in the CARES Act, and has made clear that she will continue fighting for more funding to address the dire housing needs of so many people in Washington state and across the country, exacerbated by the current pandemic. This funding is the first round of CARES Act housing funding and is distributed on a formula basis through a variety of existing grant programs. Future rounds of funding will be distributed based on need.

See a full breakdown of federal awards going to Washington state below.                                        

###