WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema introduced the bipartisan Emergency Family Stabilization Act—legislation creating an $800 million fund to increase resources and housing for Arizona children and families experiencing homelessness.
“Empowering community service organizations with resources helps ensure Arizona families experiencing homelessness have safe spaces to shelter and receive care during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak,” said Sinema.
The Emergency Family Stabilization Act will help child, youth, and family-serving agencies to provide immediate support to these families and individuals. Providing housing-related and other services to children, youth and families experiencing homelessness as early as possible will reduce transmission of the coronavirus and help prevent the lifelong impacts of homelessness.
Organizations could use funding for shelter and housing-related needs, such as eviction prevention, utility payments, motel stays, and housing placement assistance; health and safety needs, including food, hygiene supplies, and physical and mental health services; transportation, educational, employment, and other needs; specific needs of pregnant women and children; specific needs of unaccompanied homeless youth; specific needs of survivors of domestic violence, and assistance in accessing Economic Impact Payments, unemployment compensation, and other benefits provided by federal, state and local governments.
Sinema has held regular calls with nonprofit service providers, including a call specifically with community organizations serving Arizona’s homeless population during the pandemic.
Sinema recently introduced the Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020—legislation bringing relief and resources to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Homeless Program Office by expanding its authorities to provide food, transportation, and communications technologies to homeless veterans and easing requirements that are especially onerous during the coronavirus pandemic. Sinema also recently introduced legislation providing a new $75 billion Housing Assistance Fund to help everyday Arizona families afford rent and mortgage payments during the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, Sinema cosponsored the Homeless Veterans Prevention Act that expands upon existing programs that help homeless veterans and provides greater resources to prevent veteran homelessness.
Sinema has also added a resources page to her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for the latest information on coronavirus.
Click HERE for Spanish release.
