Following Letter by Crow, 100 Members Requesting a Nationwide Moratorium on all Foreclosures or Evictions from Properties; HUD Announces Suspension

Colorado U.S. Congressman Jason Crow joined over 100 other Members in sending a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson; Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie; Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and Director of Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mark Calabria requesting an immediate nationwide moratorium on all foreclosures of, an evictions from, properties owned, insured, or overseen by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), or the Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Moratoria like this have been implemented in past natural disasters, and with many occupants of federally assisted housing in Colorado and across the nation unable to afford rent or mortgage payments as a direct result of emergency limitations put in place to safeguard public health, action must be taken.

While the administration has halted evictions for for HUD residents and for Americans with loans backed by HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, they have not yet taken action with respect to VA or USDA Rural.

"With the coronavirus causing small businesses and restaurants to close and our kids out of school, families shouldn't have to be concerned about being forced out of their houses, too," said Crow. "I'm proud to report that after receiving the letter, the Federal Housing Administration announced that they will not evict homeowners. It is now incumbent on VA and USDA Rural to follow suit and ensure we are doing everything we can to not exasperate this crisis and provide Americans the support they need during this difficult time."

The original text of the letter is available below.

March 16, 2020

The Honorable Mark Calabria

Director

Federal Housing Finance Agency

400 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

The Honorable Ben Carson

Secretary

Department of Housing and Urban Development

451 7th SW

The Honorable Robert Wilkie

Secretary

Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20420

The Honorable Sonny Perdue

Secretary

Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20410

Dear Director Calabria, Secretary Carson, Secretary Wilkie, and Secretary Perdue:

We write to request that your agencies institute an immediate, nationwide moratorium on all foreclosures of, and evictions from, properties owned, insured, or overseen by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service in light of the developing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is a national emergency, and many occupants of federally-assisted housing will not be able to afford rent or mortgage payments through no fault of their own, as a direct result of emergency limitations put in place to safeguard public health.

This request is not without precedent; moratoriums of this nature have been imposed in the past when our nation has faced our darkest days. For example, after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac instituted a temporary foreclosure moratorium for affected homeowners in Puerto Rico.

Much like a natural disaster, COVID-19 has already caused untold health, social, and economic damage in the United States and across the globe. During this time of uncertainty, it is imperative that your agencies impose a temporary moratorium on foreclosures and evictions to protect the countless Americans who have been, or soon will be, impacted by this evolving public health crisis.

As the number of infected individuals and the number of broken supply chains rises, we must take proactive steps to protect the millions of working-class families, low-income households, and minority communities who will be disproportionately affected as increasingly aggressive quarantine measures develop and are implemented on the local, state, and federal levels.

As you know, President Trump has now declared a national emergency under the Stafford Act. Accordingly, and consistent with this declaration, we urge all of you to immediately take steps to halt all foreclosures and evictions — whether new or pending — in order to protect millions of Americans during this crisis.

Sincerely,