President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is set to provide relief for struggling Americans. The plan already includes the Homeowners Assistance Fund (HAF). Dubbed a "secret" stimulus, it provides direct financial assistance with $9.961 billion worth of funding to help homeowners in paying mortgages, taxes, utilities, insurance, and homeowners association dues.
In addition, growing support for a fourth stimulus check could still come to the pockets of Americans if the federal government decides to include it. More than 70 Democratic lawmakers are now urging the federal government to provide a fourth stimulus check.
The demand for another financial support program brings questions of whether or not Biden's American Families Plan proposal includes a one-time stimulus package.
Fourth Stimulus Check?
The HAF is called a secret stimulus because it prioritizes homeowners who are struggling the most. Its application is broad enough to include costs associated with owning a home, from mortgage to utility bills. Local and national income indicators are used to determine how the HAF can make the most impact.
Relief for citizens is starting to come in many forms. North Carolina officials approved a bill that would give $800 to unemployed residents or a boosted $1,500 if they find a new job. The program includes a "signing bonus" given to those who are hired. If residents can get a new job on or before June 1, the bill would give them $1,500 as a bonus distributed in two separate payments. However, if they get a new job on or before July 1, they will get $800.
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Recently, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said a fourth direct payment would be dependent on Congress' decision. The authority to provide financial support to Americans will not come from the White House or President Biden. "We'll see what members of Congress propose. But those [payments] are not free," she said, The Sun reported.
Seven members of the influential House Ways and Means Committee recently wrote a letter urging President Biden to include a fourth stimulus check in his "families plan." An online petition has also collected nearly 2.26 million signatures from Americans asking for a new direct payment program to give $2,000 to adults and $1,000 to children.
What Americans Need
"Moving forward, Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met. No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need," the petition said, which was started by an out-of-work restaurant owner from Denver.
However, despite the massive support and demand for a new package, the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have been quiet about their opinions on the possibility of a fourth stimulus check, Yahoo Finance reported.
The restaurant owner, Stephanie Bonin, argued that many Americans across the country are still struggling to recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. She said the real unemployment rate is at 20 percent and many citizens are facing massive debts stemming from utilities, rent, and child care since last year.
While a fourth stimulus check is still not guaranteed, Biden's American Rescue Plan is set to provide relief. Aside from the HAF secret stimulus, it also includes a child tax credit. This part of the program will hand out $3,600 for every child below the age of six, and $3,000 for every child between the ages of six and 17. The payments will begin distribution on July 15, Silive reported.
