Dear Neighbor,

I hope you and your loved ones are continuing to stay safe and healthy as Virginia slowly eases restrictions and safely heads toward reopening. While case numbers remain steady in our Commonwealth, the economic havoc this pandemic has wrought has not abated -- especially for our most vulnerable communities. 

Before the pandemic, for example, analysis from the RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University found that communities of color had higher eviction rates, even after controlling for income, property value, and other characteristics. That devastating trend has only worsened, as those same communities are being hit particularly hard by COVID-19. 

I'd like to briefly share a few recently-announced resources aimed at helping struggling members of our community navigate their way through the ongoing economic crisis.

This week, Governor Northam launched the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP), which will designate $50 million of the funds provided to Virginia in the CARES Act, passed by Congress and signed into law earlier this year, for households facing eviction or foreclosure due to COVID-19. RMRP will provide short-term financial assistance on behalf of households in the form of rent and mortgage payments.

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will administer the program through a variety of partners, including nonprofit organizations and local governments. To ensure RMRP funding assists those households most in need, the program will complete targeted outreach to communities of color across Virginia. For more information on the RMRP, please click here.

Additionally, emergency SNAP benefits will again be made available to Virginia SNAP participants for the month of July. Benefits will be automatically loaded to recipients' SNAP EBT cards on July 17. SNAP participants who are not currently receiving the max allotment as their monthly benefit are eligible for emergency SNAP benefits. Click here for more information.

Finally, the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) announced that they will be accepting applications for cooling assistance through August 17. VDSS will also issue a supplemental payment, through funding by the CARES Act, to households who received fuel or crisis assistance during the most recent heating season.

You can submit an application for any of these programs online via CommonHelp, by calling the Enterprise Customer Service Center at 1-855-635-4370, or through your local department of social services by Monday, August 17. More information can be found here.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other, and remember that my office is here to help. Be sure to visit the COVID-19 page on my website for more information and resources. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance, please don't hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.   

Sincerely,

Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress
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Washington, DC Office
2238 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1492

Annandale Office
4115 Annandale Road, Ste. 103
Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: (703) 256-3071
Fax: (703) 354-1284

Prince William Office
2241-D Tacketts Mill Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22192
Phone: (571) 408-4407
Fax: (571) 408-4708


 
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