CHC is closely monitoring the state and federal response to COVID-19—and we are working with our members to preserve and protect access to affordable housing:

California situation:

• California’s COVID-19 death toll is poised to climb past 9,000 this week. Just over half of the state’s deaths have been in Los Angeles County, but outbreaks continue to emerge in other parts of the state.
• The Governor announced a set of additional targeted actions this week aimed at controlling the spread of the virus in the Central Valley—and addressing notably higher infection and fatality rates among Latinos. While Latinos make up 38.9 percent of the state’s population, the Governor’s office reported this week that they comprise a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases (56 percent) and deaths (45.7 percent).

Federal action:

• The Senate failed to reach agreement this week in time to extend $600-a-week unemployment benefits from the March recovery package before they expire on Friday.
• Senate Republicans released a new $1 trillion coronavirus relief plan earlier this week, including a proposal to cut federal unemployment benefits from $600 to $200 per week.
• Earlier this spring, the House passed a $3 trillion stimulus proposal that extends today’s $600 benefits through January—while also providing substantial new funding for state and local governments, $100 billion in emergency rental assistance, and extensions of existing eviction moratoria.
• The U.S. economy shrank 9.5 percent between April and June according to new data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Washington Post described it as the “largest quarterly decline since the government began publishing data 70 years ago.”

State policy activity:

• Senate and Assembly Democrats released a new $100 billion economic stimulus plan this week that includes a range of proposals for supporting financially struggling Californians in the wake of COVID-19—without raising taxes. The plan includes a broad-strokes pledge to “increase affordable housing supply,” though the proposal does not yet include many details.
• A group of 15 Assembly Democrats released their own proposal this week to raise taxes on millionaires to pay for schools and other services.
• The Senate and Assembly returned to session this week but were immediately embroiled in a disagreement over how to manage the large number of bills still remaining in each house with the end-of-session deadline approaching. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon cancelled several Assembly hearings early in the week, citing an “imbalance” of Assembly bills that have not yet been taken up by the Senate. Since then, hearings have begun again, but negotiations are still ongoing over how the Legislature will complete their work before August 31.