Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday morning that would force Governor Pete Ricketts to apply for $120 million in additional federal housing assistance.
Governor Ricketts had stated that Nebraska is no longer in a state of emergency and that money is not needed. He had earlier stated that Nebraska has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation and there is still money left from an earlier federal rental assistance program that hasn’t yet been used.
Chris Funk is the Executive Director for the Center For People in Need and tells KLIN News that money is definitely needed on a daily basis.
Funk says, “When the pandemic hit, we saw our numbers almost double. Even though they have gone down, they are significantly higher than what they were before the pandemic. People are still struggling. We need to do all we can to help people stay in their homes and children have a roof over their head. It is really, really essential that this money be accepted from the federal government. We know the need is there and it is foolish, for the well being of the state and our families, that we don’t accept this funding.” Current emergency funding ends in September. The additional funds would provide three more years of assistance to those in need.
While lawmakers approved the bill, they did so without passing an emergency clause. That means the law wouldn’t go into effect until after the March 30th application deadline for the federal funding.
State lawmakers are working on a contingency plan to secure the money. Nebraska one of two states not applying for the additional federal assistance.