Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Representative Kelly Armstrong today announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued guidance allowing the State of North Dakota to use Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds for low-income rental assistance. The North Dakota Department of Health and the North Dakota Department of Commerce previously established a temporary rental assistance program for households with 60 percent or less of area median income (AMI) living in non-assisted housing. The state requested a waiver to provide flexibility to use the CDBG-CV funds to supplement the state’s program, and the delegation subsequently urged Housing Secretary Ben Carson to approve the state’s request.
The CDBG-CV funding was made available by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, with HUD having provided more than $3 million to the state in the first tranche of awards from the program. HUD plans to issue two more rounds of CDBG-CV funding.
“North Dakota took proactive steps to help ensure low-income families could make ends meet, building off of the assistance we provided under the CARES Act,” said Senator Hoeven, a member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee. “With this waiver for the CDBG-CV funding, the state will be able to continue providing rental assistance on a broader basis. We appreciate Secretary Carson for working with us to provide this needed flexibility.”
“While Democrats allowed the eviction moratorium to expire, President Trump’s Administration is taking action to help people keep a roof over their heads,” said Senator Cramer, a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. “I am grateful Housing Secretary Carson approved Governor Burgum’s request to use CARES Act funds to provide additional rent assistance for low-income families in North Dakota.”
“I appreciate Secretary Carson approving Governor Burgum’s request for additional flexibility of CARES Act funds to expand rental assistance for North Dakota’s low-income families,” said Congressman Armstrong. “I’m grateful the funds are being utilized to help provide some certainty for North Dakota families that they will continue to have a roof over their heads.”
