March 17, 2020

The Honorable Mark Calabria

Director

Federal Housing Finance Agency

400 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

The Honorable Ben Carson

Secretary

Department of Housing and Urban

Development

451 7th SW

Washington, DC 20410

The Honorable Robert Wilkie

Secretary

Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20420

The Honorable Sonny Perdue

Secretary

Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20410

Dear Director Calabria, Secretary Carson, Secretary Wilkie, and Secretary Perdue:

We write to request that your agencies institute an immediate, nationwide moratorium on all

foreclosures of, and evictions from, properties owned, insured, or overseen by Fannie Mae,

Freddie Mac, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of

Veterans Affairs, or the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service in

light of the developing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is a national emergency,

and many occupants of federally-assisted housing will not be able to afford rent or mortgage

payments through no fault of their own, as a direct result of emergency limitations put in place to

safeguard public health.

This request is not without precedent; moratoriums of this nature have been imposed in the past

when our nation has faced our darkest days. For example, after Hurricane Maria devastated

Puerto Rico in 2017, HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac instituted a temporary foreclosure

moratorium for affected homeowners in Puerto Rico.

Much like a natural disaster, COVID-19 has already caused untold health, social, and economic

damage in the United States and across the globe. During this time of uncertainty, it is imperative

that your agencies impose a temporary moratorium on foreclosures and evictions to protect the

countless Americans who have been, or soon will be, impacted by this evolving public health

crisis.

As the number of infected individuals and the number of broken supply chains rises, we must

take proactive steps to protect the millions of working-class families, low-income households,

2

and minority communities who will be disproportionately affected as increasingly aggressive

quarantine measures develop and are implemented on the local, state, and federal levels.

As you know, President Trump has now declared a national emergency under the Stafford Act.

Accordingly, and consistent with this declaration, we urge all of you to immediately take steps to

halt all foreclosures and evictions — whether new or pending — in order to protect millions of

Americans during this crisis.

Sincerely,

_________________________________ _________________________________

CAROLYN B. MALONEY JIMMY GOMEZ

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

PETER A. DEFAZIO CHERI BUSTOS

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

BILL FOSTER MIKE DOYLE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ JERRY MCNERNEY

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

HENRY C. “HANK” JOHNSON, JR. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

TIM RYAN ALCEE L. HASTINGS

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

AYANNA PRESSLEY GWEN MOORE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

SEAN CASTEN NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

MICHAEL F.Q. SAN NICOLAS RUBEN GALLEGO

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JUAN VARGAS CINDY AXNE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JAN SCHAKOWSKY JERROLD NADLER

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

DAVID SCOTT STEVE COHEN

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JAHANA HAYES EARL BLUMENAUER

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

TOM SUOZZI MARK TAKANO

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

BRENDA L. LAWRENCE BARBARA LEE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

SUSAN WILD JAMIE RASKIN

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

DENNY HECK DAVID TRONE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

FILEMON VELA JOSÉ E. SERRANO

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

JESÚS G. “CHUY” GARCIA MARCY KAPTUR

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

DANNY K. DAVIS LIZZIE FLETCHER

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

DAVID N. CICILLINE MIKE THOMPSON

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________

TED W. LIEU

Member of Congress

_________________________________

ELIOT L. ENGEL

Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY TED DEUTCH

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

HAKEEM JEFFRIES JENNIFFER GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

VERONICA ESCOBAR TONY CÁRDENAS

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN ANN MCLANE KUSTER

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JULIA BROWNLEY BETTY MCCOLLUM

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

MAX ROSE ANNA G. ESHOO

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

DEB HAALAND JAMES P. MCGOVERN

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

DONNA E. SHALALA NORMA J. TORRES

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

VAL B. DEMINGS ALMA S. ADAMS, PH.D.

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JIMMY PANETTA LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

DAVE LOEBSACK ROSA L. DELAURO

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

MIKE LEVIN CHRIS PAPPAS

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

ADRIANO ESPAILLAT AL GREEN

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

ILHAN OMAR MARK POCAN

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

DONALD S. BEYER JR. DIANA DEGETTE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JIM HIMES ALBIO SIRES

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________

ANGIE CRAIG

Member of Congress

_________________________________

BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDERMember of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

AL LAWSON JOE NEGUSE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JACKIE SPEIER WM. LACY CLAY

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

KATHLEEN M. RICE YVETTE D. CLARKE

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

SHARICE L. DAVIDS TULSI GABBARD

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

ANDRÉ CARSON ALAN LOWENTHAL

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

MIKE THOMPSON JENNIFER WEXTON

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

JIM LANGEVIN RASHIDA TLAIB

Member of Congress Member of Congress

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_________________________________ _________________________________

JASON CROW STEVEN HORSFORD

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

ANN KIRKPATRICK GREGORY W. MEEKS

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

TOM MALINOWSKI ROBERT C. “BOBBY” SCOTT

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

RAUL RUIZ CHARLIE CRIST

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________ _________________________________

MARY GAY SCANLON LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ

Member of Congress Member of Congress

_________________________________

NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGÁN

Member of Congress

_________________________________

EMANUEL CLEAVER, IIMember of Congress

_________________________________

SCOTT H. PETERSMember of Congress

This letter is sent on behalf of the following signatories:

Adriano Espaillat

Al Green

Al Lawson

Alan Lowenthal

Albio Sires

Alcee L. Hastings

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.

André Carson

Angie Craig

Ann Kirkpatrick

Ann McLane Kuster

Anna G. Eshoo

Ayanna Pressley

Barbara Lee

Betty McCollum

Bill Foster

Bonnie Watson Coleman

Bradley S. Schneider

Brenda L. Lawrence

Charlie Crist

Cheri Bustos

Chris Pappas

Cindy Axne

Danny K. Davis

Dave Loebsack

David N. Cicilline

David Scott

David Trone

Deb Haaland

Denny Heck

Diana DeGette

Donald S. Beyer Jr.

Donna E. Shalala

Earl Blumenauer

Eleanor Holmes Norton

Eliot L. Engel

Emanuel Cleaver, II

Filemon Vela

Gerald E. Connolly

Greg Meeks

Gregorio Kilili Camacho

Sablan

Gwen Moore

Hakeem Jeffries

Henry C. "Hank" Johnson,

Jr.

Ilhan Omar

Jackie Speier

Jahana Hayes

James P. McGovern

Jamie Raskin

Jan Schakowsky

Jason Crow

Jennifer Wexton

Jenniffer González-Colón

Jerrold Nadler

Jerry McNerney

Jesús G. “Chuy” García

Jim Himes

Jim Langevin

Jimmy Gomez

Jimmy Panetta

Joe Neguse

John Yarmuth

José E. Serrano

Juan Vargas

Julia Brownley

Kathleen M. Rice

Linda T. Sánchez

Lisa Blunt Rochester

Lizzie Fletcher

Marcy Kaptur

Mark Pocan

Mark Takano

Mary Gay Scanlon

Max Rose

Michael F.Q. San Nicolas

Mike Doyle

Mike Levin

Mike Thompson

Nanette Diaz Barragán

Norma J. Torres

Nydia Velazquez

Peter A. DeFazio

Rashida Tlaib

Raul Ruiz

Robert C. "Bobby" Scott

Rosa L. DeLauro

Ruben Gallego

Scott H. Peters

Sean Casten

Sean Patrick Maloney

Sharice L. Davids

Steve Cohen

Steven Horsford

Susan Wild

Ted Deutch

Ted W. Lieu

Tim Ryan

Tom Malinowski

Tom Suozzi

Tony Cárdenas

Tulsi Gabbard

Val B. Demings

Veronica Escobar

Wm. Lacy Clay

Yvette D. Clarke