We are deeply saddened at the passing of Susan Rees, a great builder of the Coalition on Human Needs who served as Executive Director from 1983 to 1991.
We are so grateful Susan’s family has suggested contributions be made to CHN in Susan’s memory to continue the fight for justice.
If you would like to contribute to honor Susan Rees, please use the form below and email Radha Rath at rrath@chn.org to let us know you are contributing in Susan’s memory.
You may also contribute by mail at the following address: Coalition on Human Needs, 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 411, Washington, DC 20006.
Call your Senators today to tell them it’s time to #DoYourJob!
Last Thursday, Senator Mitch McConnell and the Senate failed to advance an inadequate, “skinny” COVID relief bill. Now, the next two weeks are critical to passing a real, robust pandemic relief bill that directly supports families and individuals who are most in need right now. If the Senate fails to act this month, it will delay any relevant action until after Election Day—and very likely until January. Every day that passes, more families slip closer to economic disaster. Call your Senators today to tell them it’s time to #DoYourJob!
The Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey recently revealed how many people in the U.S. are falling through the cracks:
22 million people are in households that don’t have enough to eat;
At least 14% of households are behind on rent;
45% of adults live in households that have lost income from work—disproportionately impacting people of color: nearly 6 in 10 Latinx households and more than half of Black households have lost income.
76 million adults—one-third of all American households—said in the past week they found it somewhat or very difficult to pay their usual household bills.
With flu season approaching, the fall and winter are going to bring new challenges and threats from COVID-19. If Congress doesn’t act soon, conditions for families, essential workers, and health care workers are only going to deteriorate. Call your Senators today to demand real action on passing a COVID-19 package that meets the needs of our nation.
Tell Your Senators, #DoYourJob: 888-496-3502
Call twice to reach both of your Senators.
When you call, here’s what you might say:
“Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent from [town]. I am calling to ask the Senator to pass a robust COVID-19 relief bill that protects families and communities from economic disaster. Millions of families have lost their jobs and can’t afford their rent, food, and health care. People and small businesses need real help to weather this crisis, not partisan games. We need the Senate to get back to work and pass an adequate COVID relief bill now.”
Thank you for your advocacy!
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CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship August 6, 2020
How much more will people lose before Trump and McConnell provide help?The House enacted its HEROES bill on May 15. The Senate has not yet acted; its majority caucus is divided.Since the House acted, the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has soared from 1.4 million to 4.8 million. We have gained back some of the jobs lost, but are still at least 13 million below the February peak, and now, as weekly unemployment claims have well exceeded 1 million for 20 weeks, job growth sharply slowed in July. About 30 million jobless people are now going without the $600/week extra unemployment compensation, and that is making it much harder for them to pay rent or buy food. In a nation where 600+ billionaires saw their aggregate incomes rise $42 billion per week between March 18-July 16, the Senate majority and White House have stopped more than $15 billion a week in the $600 unemployment payments; it will take at least weeks for state offices to start them up again. In the meantime, shocking numbers of people cannot pay their rent or get enough to eat. McConnell’s majority has not agreed to an increase in SNAP or emergency rental assistance, but they have proposed doubling the tax break for business meals. States are making cuts, costing more jobs and services. 158,000 have died. Our nation needs action now.
How many jobless people would be helped by the payroll tax cut that President Trump has now talked about doing by executive order, because you don’t pay it when you’re out of work. Tweet this.
More than half
51 percent of people lived in households where someone lost income from work (week ending July 21). From April 23 through July 21, the number of people in such households grew by 10 million, to 126.5 million.
2.23 million fewer
In June, 2.4 million private sector jobs were added; in July, only 167,000, according to ADP and Moody’s Analytics. The sharp slowing was said to result from the surge in COVID cases followed by more business restrictions/fewer customers. Tweet this.
One in five
The number of households that couldn’t pay their rent in the past month. (Closer to 30% for Latinx (27%), Black households (30%), households with children (28%).) The moratorium on evictions in federally subsidized/backed units expired on 7/25.
14.7 million
14.7 million people in households with children sometimes or often did not have enough to eat in the past week (week ending 7/21); that’s up 1.8 million since the week ending 5/26. 25% of Black and 21% of Latinx households with children did not have enough to eat, more than twice the rate of whites (10.5%).
12.2 million
How many people would be kept out of poverty through December if Congress reinstates the $600/week unemployment benefit, approves another round of improved stimulus payments, and increases SNAP, as in the House HEROES bill.
20
20 states have cut education funding (K-12 and/or higher education) for FYs 20 or 21 because of revenue shortfalls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
-1.9 million
1.9 million education jobs estimated to be lost in FYs 20-22 based on decline in state revenues going to education, according to the National Education Assoc.
