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I hope this email finds you well.
We have fallen on some rough times, and New Orleans needs some urgent relief. COVID-19 is continuing to surge, while major public health restrictions and federal unemployment benefits are ending this week. Over 44,000 New Orleanians will now experience the most severe financial hardships they’ve faced since the onset of the pandemic.
Further, the federal moratorium on evictions also expires, and there is likely to be an unprecedented landslide of evictions in August. This could not come at a worse time, as the City currently battles rising rates of COVID-19. AND, the City is also entering into peak hurricane season. Keeping people safe and healthy at home is paramount at this time.
Will you donate now to the Rental Assistance Fund to keep your neighbors in their homes?
We have been doing our best to keep up with rental assistance programs since the beginning of this pandemic. In early April, the City opened up a rental assistance program for several weeks with a total of over 8,300 applicants, which quickly exhausted the program’s resources. The funding for the first round of rental assistance was a combination of philanthropic contributions and local government funds via the Neighborhood Improvement Fund.
On July 27th, the City of New Orleans opened a second round of emergency rental relief for tenants residing in Orleans Parish in imminent danger of being evicted. The program, which pays landlords directly, only serves:
- Households with children
- Households with disabled member(s)
- Households with elderly member(s) and/or household members with underlying medical conditions
As it stands, the need simply far outpaces the resources. The second round was outstripped by the number of applications within just a few days. Donate now to keep our residents from being evicted.
As a majority renter City, it is critical that we prevent housing insecurity, especially at a time of heightened risk from rising COVID cases and hurricane season. The City of New Orleans is working to assemble private and philanthropic support for these efforts.
Community partners have come together to distribute this fund. I am grateful to Total Community Action, South East Louisiana Legal Services, and Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center.
If you make a tax-deductible donation to this fund, your donation goes directly to New Orleanians who need it the most. You will be preventing homelessness for a vulnerable population during this difficult time.
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