Philadelphia PA – May 29, 2020 – On Thursday, Senator Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) and Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) successfully secured $175 million in rental and mortgage assistance, a measure included in the temporary 5 month budget featuring SB1108 and HB2510 allocating $2.8 Billion in Federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security.
“Security starts at home. Over 100,000 Philadelphians have filed for unemployment since March, and almost two million have filed in Pennsylvania overall, a rate of more than 15%. Philadelphia and counties have looked for resources to protect renters and homeowners as they struggle to navigate the economic uncertainty during COVID-19,” said Street, “Until now these efforts to prevent homelessness had no long-term economic viability. This measure provides that certainty and security. I am honored to have worked with Senator Haywood and my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to put families first during the worst health crisis of our time.”
Qualifying Pennsylvanians can receive up to $750 per month for 6 months for rent, and $1,000 per month for 6 months for mortgage. CRF dollars were first deposited into the state treasury on April 17th, 2020. On April 29, Senate Democrats announced the PA CARES plan, the only caucus to negotiate a structured plan for the allocation of federal CARES Funds.
The foundation of SB1108 is the PA CARES Act which, along with housing relief, includes funding initiatives that help individuals and families in the form of student debt relief, veterans’ assistance, utility assistance, and food bank support.
Other aspects of the proposal include allocating additional assistance to frontline workers, funding for the health care industry and its workers, and small business grants. School districts and local governments also received support to help offset pandemic-related expenses.
The General Appropriations bill (HB2387) was presented to Governor Tom Wolf on May 28, 2020.
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