Wyden Urges Congress to Provide Housing Support for Domestic Violence Survivors During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged Senate leadership to include resources to meet domestic and sexual violence survivors’ urgent housing needs, which have been exacerbated by stay-at-home orders, social distancing and the ongoing economic upheaval caused by COVID-19 in any future relief package.
“Communities need a surge of resources to meet survivors’ diverse housing needs, increase the capacity of local programs to address those needs, and be responsive to the housing availability in each community,” Wyden and 22 of his colleagues wrote. “Local programs are working to reduce the number of families in their shelters to respond to calls for social distancing. Some shelters will not be admitting new clients but will be looking to house clients in hotels, motels, or rental properties. Others are working to support survivors who have recently secured independent housing only to lose their jobs and economic stability as a result of COVID-19. Once the immediate health crisis subsides, there will be an influx of need as survivors make plans to escape while facing continued economic strain.”
In addition to Wyden, the letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Chris Coons, D-Del., Bob Casey, D-Pa., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Mark Warner, D-Va., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.
A copy of the letter is available here.
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