With workers and states in crisis, bipartisan relief bill would provide some needed relief

Tens of thousands of Mainers continue to face hardship during the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis and will face an even bleaker winter if Congress does not pass a new round of COVID relief.

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Mainers still falling behind, facing hunger and housing insecurity

Roughly 40,000 out-of-work Mainers are relying on unemployment benefits, and almost all of them will see benefits expire on December 26 if Congress does not act. These Mainers will be faced with a total loss of income at a time when jobs are both hard to find and potentially dangerous as a result of spiking coronavirus transmission and COVID cases.

Economic hardship goes beyond job losses, with many more Mainers facing cutbacks in hours or reduced work opportunities as a result of increased child care needs or health concerns. The latest data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey includes several alarming statistics for the two-week period ending November 23:

• One third of Maine adults — or roughly 356,000 Mainers — said they had trouble paying their usual household expenses, such as groceries, rent, or utility bills.
• More than one in four renters — roughly 60,000 Mainers — said they had “slight” or “no” confidence they would make next month’s rent.
• More than one in ten adults — roughly 111,000 Mainers — lived in a household where there “sometimes” or “often” was not enough to eat.

Read more: https://mainebeacon.com/with-workers-and-states-in-crisis-bipartisan-relief-bill-would-provide-some-needed-relief/