Additional Federal Assistance for Low-Income Populations During the Pandemic

Because people with disabilities are more likely to experience poverty than the general population, we report on two pandemic relief initiatives so our members can help the individuals they support live independent lives. These programs might also be beneficial to the direct support professional (DSP) workforce, as many DSPs’ incomes are low enough to qualify them for pandemic assistance due to the Medicaid programs that employ them being chronically underfunded.

Assistance with Water Bills:

Politico Pulse reports: “A new HHS initiative announced by the department today will make $166.6 million available immediately to help low-income families afford their water and wastewater bills, as part of the administration’s broader Covid-19 equity effort. […]

The Administration for Children and Families will run the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, which draws on funding from Covid relief bills passed in December and March.”

Court Upholds Federal Eviction Ban Through End of June:

Politico Pulse reports: “An appellate court on Wednesday sided with the Biden administration in preserving its ban on evictions through the end of the month, POLITICO’s Katy O’Donnell reports.

The order came after the appeals court judges decided that HHS was ‘likely to succeed’ in its defense of the ban against a legal challenge by chapters of the National Association of Realtors, pointing to a public health law that gives the CDC power to take actions necessary to prevent the spread of disease.”