Latest news with #DanirisEspinal
Irish Daily Star
22-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Star
Tens of thousands of renting Americans at risk of eviction unless Congress acts quick
Over 60,000 families across the country could be at risk of eviction if Congress does not act to renew funding for the Emergency Housing Vouchers program, which is set to run out of money by the end of next year, according to new reporting from the Associated Press. Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. The program, established in 2021 under President Joe Biden , was designed to help those fleeing fleeing homelessness or domestic violence. If Congress were to allow the funding to lapse it would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the U.S., analysts say, and the ensuing evictions could churn these people — after several years of rebuilding their lives — back onto the street or back into abusive relationships. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump branded 'dumbest President ever' after six-word comment about Congo Read More Related Articles Deranged Donald Trump posts mad 184-word Easter message taking aim at all his enemies Daniris Espinal stands for a portrait in Sunset Park, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Image: AP) 'To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance told the AP. 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households,' she said. The program was part of the American Rescue Plan Act and allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. Last month, HUD sent letters to groups dispersing the money, advising them to 'manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.' The program's future rests with Congress, which could decide to add money as it crafts the federal budget. But it's a relatively expensive prospect at a time when Republicans, who control Congress, are dead set on cutting federal spending to afford tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who championed the program four years ago, is pushing for another $8 billion infusion. But the organizations lobbying Republican and Democratic lawmakers to re-up the funding told the AP they aren't optimistic. Four GOP lawmakers who oversee the budget negotiations did not respond to AP requests for comment. 'We've been told it's very much going to be an uphill fight,' Kim Johnson, the public policy manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition told the AP. Daniris Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are living on one of those vouchers in a three-bedroom apartment with an over $3,000 monthly rent — an amount extremely difficult to cover without the voucher, she told the AP. Four years ago, Espinal fought her way out of a marriage where her husband controlled her decisions, from seeing her family and friends to leaving the apartment to go shopping. When she spoke up, her husband said she was wrong, or in the wrong or crazy. Isolated and in the haze of postpartum depression, she didn't know what to believe. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she said. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.' Daniris Espinal stands for a portrait in Sunset Park, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Image: AP) When notices arrived in March 2021 seeking about $12,000 in back rent, it was a shock. Espinal had quit her job at her husband's urging and he had promised to cover family expenses. Police reports documenting her husband's bursts of anger were enough for a judge to give her custody of their daughter in 2022, Espinal said. But her future was precarious: She was alone, owed thousands of dollars in back rent and had no income to pay it or support her newborn and teenage daughters. Financial aid to prevent evictions during the pandemic kept Espinal afloat, paying her back rent and keeping the family out of shelters. But it had an expiration date. Around that time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program was rolled out, targeting people in Espinal's situation.
Economic Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Why are thousands of Americans at the risk of losing their homes? Explained
This could lead to mass eviction of nearly 60,000 families and individuals, many of whom have escaped homelessness, domestic abuse, or human trafficking Synopsis A US federal program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is presently facing funding shortage. The program aids nearly 60,000 families, including Daniris Espinal, fleeing homelessness and domestic violence. Funds are expected to deplete by next year. This could leave many at risk of eviction. If Congress doesn't intervene, nearly 60,000 families in the US could face the risk of mass eviction. Tens of thousands of Americans are at the risk of losing their critical rental assistance under the federal Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) programmes, reported news agency AP. EHV programmes are running out of money quickly and the funding is expected to come to an end by 2025 unless Congress intervenes. ADVERTISEMENT The US Department of Housing and Development (HUD) in a letter warned that no additional funding is likely forthcoming. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their have raised alarm it would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the United States. This could lead to mass eviction of nearly 60,000 families and individuals, many of whom have escaped homelessness, domestic abuse, or human trafficking. ALSO READ: Why is Pete Hegseth's wife Jennifer Rauchet under fire for Signal chat leak controversy? "To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made," said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance. "And then you multiply that by 59,000 households," she by former President Joe Biden in 2021, the program, as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. ADVERTISEMENT The EHV programme supported individuals across the country — from children and seniors to veterans — with the expectation that the funds would last through the decade. But rising rents have accelerated the programme's depletion. 'To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households.' ADVERTISEMENT Democratic Representative Maxine Waters is pushing for an $8 billion funding extension, though its chances appear slim as Republican-led efforts to cut the federal budget continue. 'We've been told it's going to be an uphill battle,' said Kim Johnson of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. So far, four key Republican lawmakers involved in the negotiations have not issued any public statements. ALSO READ: How Pete Hegseth invited multiple controversies for himself in less than a month? 10 points ADVERTISEMENT For individuals like Daniris Espinal, the issue hits close to home. Escaping domestic violence and the threat of homelessness, she was able to find stability through an Emergency Housing Voucher, securing a three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for herself and her daughters — a home that would typically cost more than $3,000 per month.'I regained my sense of self-worth and peace. I was able to rebuild my identity,' Espinal said. But now, she's worried it could all be taken away. 'That's my fear — losing everything I've worked so hard to rebuild.'Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are currently living in a three-bedroom Brooklyn apartment with a monthly rent exceeding $3,000 — a cost that would be unmanageable without the support of a housing voucher. ADVERTISEMENT Just four years ago, Espinal escaped a controlling marriage where her husband dictated nearly every aspect of her life — from whom she could see, to whether she could leave the apartment. When she tried to assert herself, he dismissed her as wrong, unreasonable, or even crazy. Struggling with postpartum depression and isolated from her support system, Espinal began to lose her sense of self. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she recalled. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.'In March 2021, she was blindsided by notices demanding $12,000 in unpaid rent. At her husband's insistence, she had quit her job, trusting him to manage the household finances — a promise he failed to keep. Police reports of his explosive outbursts helped Espinal secure custody of their daughter in 2022. But she was left on uncertain ground: alone, in debt, and without an income to support her two daughters. ALSO READ: 'Very perilous time in America...': 'Shame' chants echo across US as thousands protest Trump, over 700 events held Pandemic-era financial aid provided a lifeline, covering her back rent and sparing her family from homelessness. But that support was temporary. Around the same time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program launched, specifically aimed at individuals in situations like hers. 'A leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence,' said Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access and stability services at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that has helped 700 domestic violence survivors access these vouchers — Espinal among 2023, she moved into her current apartment. But the stability brought more than just a roof over her head. 'I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity,' she said. Today, she's saving money, preparing for any future uncertainty. 'That's my fear,' she admitted, 'losing control of everything that I've worked so hard for.' (With inputs from AP) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
NBC News
21-04-2025
- Business
- NBC News
60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts
Moments after Daniris Espinal walked into her new apartment in Brooklyn, she prayed. In ensuing nights, she would awaken and touch the walls for reassurance — finding in them a relief that turned to tears over her morning coffee. Those walls were possible through a federal program that pays rent for some 60,000 families and individuals fleeing homelessness or domestic violence. Espinal was fleeing both. But the program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is running out of money — and quickly. Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. It would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the U.S., analysts say, and the ensuing evictions could churn these people — after several years of rebuilding their lives — back onto the street or back into abusive relationships. 'To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance. 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households,' she said. The program, launched in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. People from San Francisco to Dallas to Tallahassee, Florida, were enrolled — among them children, seniors and veterans — with the expectation that funding would last until the end of the decade. But with the ballooning cost of rent, that $5 billion will end far faster. Last month, HUD sent letters to groups dispersing the money, advising them to 'manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.' The program's future rests with Congress, which could decide to add money as it crafts the federal budget. But it's a relatively expensive prospect at a time when Republicans, who control Congress, are dead set on cutting federal spending to afford tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who championed the program four years ago, is pushing for another $8 billion infusion. But the organizations lobbying Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reup the funding told the AP they aren't optimistic. Four GOP lawmakers who oversee the budget negotiations did not respond to AP requests for comment. 'We've been told it's very much going to be an uphill fight,' said Kim Johnson, the public policy manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are living on one of those vouchers in a three-bedroom apartment with an over $3,000 monthly rent — an amount extremely difficult to cover without the voucher. Four years ago, Espinal fought her way out of a marriage where her husband controlled her decisions, from seeing her family and friends to leaving the apartment to go shopping. When she spoke up, her husband said she was wrong, or in the wrong or crazy. Isolated and in the haze of postpartum depression, she didn't know what to believe. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she said. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.' When notices arrived in March 2021 seeking about $12,000 in back rent, it was a shock. Espinal had quit her job at her husband's urging and he had promised to cover family expenses. Police reports documenting her husband's bursts of anger were enough for a judge to give her custody of their daughter in 2022, Espinal said. But her future was precarious: She was alone, owed thousands of dollars in back rent and had no income to pay it or support her newborn and teenage daughters. Financial aid to prevent evictions during the pandemic kept Espinal afloat, paying her back rent and keeping the family out of shelters. But it had an expiration date. Around that time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program was rolled out, targeting people in Espinal's situation. A 'leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence' in New York City, said Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access and stability services at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that has connected 700 domestic violence survivors to the voucher program. Espinal was one of those 700, and moved into her Brooklyn apartment in 2023. The relief went beyond finding a secure place to live, she said. 'I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity.' Now, she said, she's putting aside money in case of the worst. Because, 'that's my fear, losing control of everything that I've worked so hard for.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts
Moments after Daniris Espinal walked into her new apartment in Brooklyn, she prayed. In ensuing nights, she would awaken and touch the walls for reassurance — finding in them a relief that turned to tears over her morning coffee. Those walls were possible through a federal program that pays rent for some 60,000 families and individuals fleeing homelessness or domestic violence. Espinal was fleeing both. But the program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is running out of money — and quickly. Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. It would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the U.S., analysts say, and the ensuing evictions could churn these people — after several years of rebuilding their lives — back onto the street or back into abusive relationships. "To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance. 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households,' she said. The program, launched in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. People from San Francisco to Dallas to Tallahassee, Florida, were enrolled — among them children, seniors and veterans — with the expectation that funding would last until the end of the decade. But with the ballooning cost of rent, that $5 billion will end far faster. Last month, HUD sent letters to groups dispersing the money, advising them to "manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming." The program's future rests with Congress, which could decide to add money as it crafts the federal budget. But it's a relatively expensive prospect at a time when Republicans, who control Congress, are dead set on cutting federal spending to afford tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who championed the program four years ago, is pushing for another $8 billion infusion. But the organizations lobbying Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reup the funding told the AP they aren't optimistic. Four GOP lawmakers who oversee the budget negotiations did not respond to AP requests for comment. 'We've been told it's very much going to be an uphill fight,' said Kim Johnson, the public policy manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are living on one of those vouchers in a three-bedroom apartment with an over $3,000 monthly rent — an amount extremely difficult to cover without the voucher. Four years ago, Espinal fought her way out of a marriage where her husband controlled her decisions, from seeing her family and friends to leaving the apartment to go shopping. When she spoke up, her husband said she was wrong, or in the wrong or crazy. Isolated and in the haze of postpartum depression, she didn't know what to believe. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she said. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.' When notices arrived in March 2021 seeking about $12,000 in back rent, it was a shock. Espinal had quit her job at her husband's urging and he had promised to cover family expenses. Police reports documenting her husband's bursts of anger were enough for a judge to give her custody of their daughter in 2022, Espinal said. But her future was precarious: She was alone, owed thousands of dollars in back rent and had no income to pay it or support her newborn and teenage daughters. Financial aid to prevent evictions during the pandemic kept Espinal afloat, paying her back rent and keeping the family out of shelters. But it had an expiration date. Around that time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program was rolled out, targeting people in Espinal's situation. A "leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence" in New York City, said Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access and stability services at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that has connected 700 domestic violence survivors to the voucher program. Espinal was one of those 700, and moved into her Brooklyn apartment in 2023. The relief went beyond finding a secure place to live, she said. 'I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity." Now, she said, she's putting aside money in case of the worst. Because, 'that's my fear, losing control of everything that I've worked so hard for.'
The Independent
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts
Moments after Daniris Espinal walked into her new apartment in Brooklyn, she prayed. In ensuing nights, she would awaken and touch the walls for reassurance — finding in them a relief that turned to tears over her morning coffee. Those walls were possible through a federal program that pays rent for some 60,000 families and individuals fleeing homelessness or domestic violence. Espinal was fleeing both. But the program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is running out of money — and quickly. Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. It would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the U.S., analysts say, and the ensuing evictions could churn these people — after several years of rebuilding their lives — back onto the street or back into abusive relationships. "To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance. 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households,' she said. The program, launched in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. People from San Francisco to Dallas to Tallahassee, Florida, were enrolled — among them children, seniors and veterans — with the expectation that funding would last until the end of the decade. But with the ballooning cost of rent, that $5 billion will end far faster. Last month, HUD sent letters to groups dispersing the money, advising them to "manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming." The program's future rests with Congress, which could decide to add money as it crafts the federal budget. But it's a relatively expensive prospect at a time when Republicans, who control Congress, are dead set on cutting federal spending to afford tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who championed the program four years ago, is pushing for another $8 billion infusion. But the organizations lobbying Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reup the funding told the AP they aren't optimistic. Four GOP lawmakers who oversee the budget negotiations did not respond to AP requests for comment. 'We've been told it's very much going to be an uphill fight,' said Kim Johnson, the public policy manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are living on one of those vouchers in a three-bedroom apartment with an over $3,000 monthly rent — an amount extremely difficult to cover without the voucher. Four years ago, Espinal fought her way out of a marriage where her husband controlled her decisions, from seeing her family and friends to leaving the apartment to go shopping. When she spoke up, her husband said she was wrong, or in the wrong or crazy. Isolated and in the haze of postpartum depression, she didn't know what to believe. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she said. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.' When notices arrived in March 2021 seeking about $12,000 in back rent, it was a shock. Espinal had quit her job at her husband's urging and he had promised to cover family expenses. Police reports documenting her husband's bursts of anger were enough for a judge to give her custody of their daughter in 2022, Espinal said. But her future was precarious: She was alone, owed thousands of dollars in back rent and had no income to pay it or support her newborn and teenage daughters. Financial aid to prevent evictions during the pandemic kept Espinal afloat, paying her back rent and keeping the family out of shelters. But it had an expiration date. Around that time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program was rolled out, targeting people in Espinal's situation. A "leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence" in New York City, said Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access and stability services at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that has connected 700 domestic violence survivors to the voucher program. Espinal was one of those 700, and moved into her Brooklyn apartment in 2023. The relief went beyond finding a secure place to live, she said. 'I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity." Now, she said, she's putting aside money in case of the worst. Because, 'that's my fear, losing control of everything that I've worked so hard for.'
