WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema reintroduced the bipartisan Emergency Family Stabilization Act with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (WV). The Senators’ legislation creates an $800 million fund to increase resources and housing for Arizona children and families experiencing homelessness.
“Too many Arizona families are at risk of—or currently experiencing—homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic. Empowering community service organizations with new resources will help keep roofs over Arizonans’ heads during the current public health crisis,” said Sinema.
The Emergency Family Stabilization Act helps 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.
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