The Covid recovery bills included a combined $45 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds. Many Southern states have been slow to distribute these funds, including Alabama and Tennessee where only 41% of ERA funds have been spent, Arkansas where only 43% has been spent, and Georgia where only only 46% has been spent.

Southerners are more likely to experience extreme heat days. In 2021, 92% of Southerners (versus 61% of non-Southerners) were exposed to 5+ days of extreme heat, and 64% of Southerners (versus 28% of non-Southerners) were exposed to 15+ days of extreme heat.

The December 2020 stimulus bill and the March 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) include a combined $45 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds. Grantees who fail to spend 50% of their ERA allotment may find some of their funds reallocated to ensure all funds are spent by September 2022. Many Southern states have been slow to distribute these funds, including TN where only 31% of ERA funds have been spent, WV with only 33% spent, AL with only 34% spent, and GA with only 35% spent.

Over the last 2 years, climate disasters have compounded the nation’s misery. Southerners have been most likely to experience a disaster, with 70% of Southerners living in a county that has had a disaster since March 2020, compared to 58% of non-Southerners.

Fears of foreclosure or eviction are rising, particularly across the South. Among adults not up to date on rent or mortgage, 72% of Arkansans, 62% of South Carolinians, 59% of Mississippians, 53% of North Carolinians, 50% of Louisianans, 46% of Tennesseans, and 45% of Georgians fear they will be evicted or foreclosed upon.

In June 2022, 13% of Southerners (and 10% of non-Southerners) reported their household didn’t have enough to eat. Without Child Tax Credit payments, this summer is particularly difficult for low-income families who are also missing out on school lunches.

Many Southerners with low incomes struggle to pay for home utilities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act greatly expands the Weatherization Assistance Program — allowing states and territories to access $3.1 billion in funding to install insulation, update heating and cooling systems, and upgrade appliances to reduce utility bills for households with low incomes.

Climate disasters have compounded the nation’s misery since the pandemic struck. 70% of Southerners live in a county that has had a disaster since March 2020 compared to 57% of non-Southerners.

In the South, LGBT adults were more likely than non-LGBT adults to have recently lost employment income and experienced food insecurity. In addition, nearly twice as many LGBT adults experienced anxiety compared to non-LGBT adults. Many Southern states have advanced anti-gay legislation in recent months and a recent survey found these efforts have negatively impacted the mental health of LGBTQ youth.

Before Covid, 1 in 4 renters spent more than half their household income on housing. As recently as March 2022, 35% of Southerners (and 30% of non-Southerners) who are late on rent or mortgage payments were fearful of losing their homes.

In March 2022, 1 in 10 adults reported their household didn’t have enough to eat. Food insecurity was even more severe in MS, LA, AR, FL, and OK where 15% to 18% of adults reported not being able to put food on the table.

The end of stimulus and child tax credits combined with inflation meant 34% of Americans had difficulty paying household expenses in March 2022, up from 26% in April 2021. Fully 37% of Southerners reported difficulty paying usual household expenses in the last 7 days, compared to only 33% of non-Southerners.

The nation was facing a severe housing shortage when the pandemic struck in 2020. Following the Great Recession, new home construction dramatically declined — driving up home prices over the decade without commensurate increases in income.

The December 2020 stimulus bill and the March 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) include a combined $45 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds, and a portion of these funds can be used for housing counseling and eviction diversion programs.

The December Stimulus bill (ERA) and the March American Rescue Plan (ERA2) include a combined $45 billion in rental assistance. But this assistance is being doled out through hundreds of state and local emergency rental assistance programs that vary greatly. Many places have been slow to distribute this critical aid.

Climate disasters have compounded the nation’s misery since the pandemic struck. 59% of Americans live in a county that has had a disaster since March 2020.

While LGBTQIA+ people remain unseen in many official statistics, the Census Bureau, through its Household Pulse Survey, is providing needed visibility on the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in America during the pandemic.

About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. who are late on rent or mortgage payments expect to lose their home in the next two months. Cities and counties can mitigate a wave of homelessness and instability by enacting one or more ordinances that hold landlords accountable for unjust evictions, and stop eviction processes when past due rent is paid with reasonable late fees.

Putting food on the table has been a problem throughout the pandemic as low-wage workers suffered heavy job losses. 10% of adults in the U.S. – 16% in DC, LA, MS, and AK – reported their households went hungry in December

The December Stimulus bill (ERA) and the March American Rescue Plan (ERA2) include a combined $45 billion in rental assistance. But this assistance is being doled out through hundreds of state and local emergency rental assistance programs that vary greatly. Many places have been slow to distribute this critical aid.