U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson says low-income derecho victims in Iowa who are renters or paying off a mortgage may be eligible for assistance through his agency.
“Support for Iowa during this time is especially important so that the households can have peace of mind to meet the challenges of recovering from both this disaster and the coronavirus pandemic,” Carson said earlier this afternoon.
More than 1700 Iowans have received federal vouchers to cover temporary housing. Carson said in the counties hardest hit by the derecho, more than 28,000 homeowners with loans through the Federal Housing Administration are eligible for a 90-day foreclosure moratorium.
Carson is hoping congress will provide additional federal pandemic relief to help all Americans who cannot afford their rent.
“We fully recognize that in the case of most people, this is something that appeared on their doorstep through no fault of their own,” Carson said. “They’ve been doing what they’re supposed to be doing all along and then all of a sudden they’ve got this insoluble problem.”
Carson spoke with reporters in Des Moines today after touring a facility for low-income seniors.