"Homelessness is one paycheck away for many people in America and Covid-19 is really testing this," says Leigh Rachal, Executive Director of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing ("ARCH). Leigh has served in this capacity for four years and each day she is guided by her "belief in the wild idea that housing is a basic human need and that everyone should have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing."

Leigh joined Jan Swift on Discover Lafayette to provide an overview of the homeless situation in Acadiana as of early June 2020. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edward's moratorium on evictions is set to end on June 15, 2020; Louisiana law mandates five days notice for nonpayment of rent and that means that by June 20, the first wave of homelessness is set to unfold. A second wave is expected by August 23rd as the CARES Act Eviction Moratorium is lifted and landlords owning properties that were federally financed or assisted will be able to evict their tenants.

Evicted tenants are not legally absolved from paying back due rent and will still owe these monies while trying to come up with sufficient funds to find a new place to live. The reality is that 45% of renters in Louisiana are housing "cost-burdened," meaning that they pay more than 35% of their income on housing costs with no safety net to back them up or cover these delinquencies.

ARCH's main funding is derived from HUD as a Continuum of Care (CoC) agency that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. ARCH is the lead agency for HUD in Acadiana and covers an eight parish region which includes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion. The agency is client-centered and utilizes national best practices working to get people housed first and then providing "wrap-around support" to make sure they stay housed. ARCH also assists people who may just need a rent deposit or help negotiating with a landlord to get needed repairs done. She mentioned that many elderly and disabled persons don't have access to adequate plumbing or a working kitchen in homes that they own and ARCH assists with those needs.

COVID-19's impact on the economy and jobs has strained resources available to help the homeless, with an increase of 58% or over 200 families rendered homeless since the coronavirus shut down in mid-March. These families were not leaseholders but were doubled and tripled up with family or friends or staying in a hotel because they had lost their job and home before COVID hit. Money ran out or the stress of too many people under one roof led to their homelessness. Leigh spoke of the "hotel trap" many find themselves in; hotels are expensive and it can be hard to save up for a deposit and the first month's rent when you expend all resources before the end of the month, month after month, with no savings.

Shelters have reached maximum capacity and the closure of the Salvation Army this week (which was planned before COVID) exacerbated the shortage. ARCH has negotiated with local hotel owners to put up homeless families at a reduced rate, and the hotels are also extending the offer to "get an extra room free if two are paid for." Community donations have generously been collected to go toward this effort and emergency funding was also utilized. (Donations may be made here.) The Louisiana Housing Corporation is covering hotel costs now through the Emergency Solutions Grants fund, but this fund is not unlimited.

"We know there will be an enormous need for help with rental assistance once the moratorium on evictions begin. People keep asking me, 'What's the plan?' Right now, there is no plan because there are no resources to meet the need. Without housing stability, we can't get back to normal if employees don't have ...