(NAEH) TODAY! Urge Sen. Van Hollen on Homelessness Funds
 The Senate has been in session for nearly two weeks to discuss the COVID relief package, with little progress to show for itself. During this time, the pandemic has worsened and the economy has crashed. Millions remain jobless. More Americans are sick with COVID than ever before. We need action from Washington - especially from Senator Van Hollen - to protect the most vulnerable. Now is the time to demand that the Senate act with urgency. We need meaningful relief, especially homeless assistance for people living on the streets and emergency rental assistance for millions more who cannot afford the rent. Yet Washington remains at a stalemate. As the Senate considers new legislation on the COVID pandemic, they need to hear from us. I'm writing to ask you to contact Sen. Van Hollen about homelessness, urging the Senate to pass the $11.5 billion in homeless assistance that the House of Representatives approved in May. COVID is not affecting all communities in the same way. It is an unequal killer, disproportionately impacting black and brown people, low-income communities, and people already struggling in an unjust society. Please tell Sen. Van Hollen that people experiencing homelessness should be one of our highest priorities in COVID relief legislation. Many people on the streets are already in poor health and lack access to health care. They don't have the ability to socially distance in public spaces. They need safe places to come inside immediately. The Senator's staffer on these issues is John Walters - John_Walters@vanhollen.senate.gov. Please take a moment to reach out on behalf of those who have no home – NOT by forwarding this email, but by expressing concern to the Senator's office about homelessness in your own words. Ask the Senate to approve the House's $11.5 billion in urgent homeless relief. Tell the Senator's staff that we need $100 billion in rental assistance for those at risk of homelessness. Consider scheduling a brief phone call to discuss how homelessness is impacting Maryland. The Senate will only take action if enough people of good conscience tell them to do so. Until that happens, people without housing continue to wait and America's COVID crisis only gets worse. Please act today.
Jerry Jones |