| | America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
Business Growth in Desert Southwest More than Twice National AverageThe Desert Southwest region has long set a dizzying pace for population growth, expanding by at least twice the national average every decade from 1950 and 2010. Does business growth in this region mirror this population change? In a word — yes. Driven by big, growing counties and fueled by industries such as health care and information, the Desert Southwest outpaced national averages for adding businesses and employees from 2015 to 2019, according to the Census Bureau’s 2019 County Business Patterns (CBP) program. Health care — the region’s second largest employer with 723,263 workers — was one of the driving forces behind business growth in the Desert Southwest. Continue reading to learn more about: - Population growth in the Desert Southwest
- Business growth in the Desert Southwest
- Business growth does not always mean large salary gains
- Top economic sectors in the region
- 2019 and beyond
| Help us spread the word about America Counts. Share this story on social media or forward it to a friend. | You May Be Interested Fast Growth in the Desert Southwest Continues: One of the most arid parts of the country has enjoyed population growth of more than 40 percent in three different decades since 1950. |
| America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, economy, emergency management, health, population, income and poverty. Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews. |
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More than 420,000 Households Received Emergency Rental Assistance in August, Totaling Over $2.3 Billion in Payments
09/24/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2021
Contact: Elizabeth Bourgeois; Press@Treasury.gov
More than 420,000 Households Received Emergency Rental Assistance in August, Totaling Over $2.3 Billion in Payments
State and local governments have made over 1.4 million Emergency Rental Assistance payments to households and distributed $7.7 billion since January
The state and local government grantees of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) increased the number of households served to more than 420,000 last month, up from 340,000 in July. Over $2.3 billion in rental assistance was distributed in August, which represents roughly three times the amount spent in May. While many jurisdictions have more work to do to meet the urgent demand for this relief in their communities, grantees saw significant growth in August —particularly among state and local agencies that adopted the Treasury’s recommended best practices.
Through August 31, state and local ERA programs have distributed more than 1.4 million payments to households, totaling more than $7.7 billion to support the housing stability of vulnerable renters. For context, the most recent Census Pulse survey suggests that approximately 3 million households expressed concern about imminent eviction. Of all these households, Census Pulse data also indicates that those with the lowest incomes are the most likely to be at risk of eviction. Of all households reporting that they are behind on rent, two-thirds of them earn less than $35,000 per year. Previous Treasury data has demonstrated that ERA funds are reaching these tenants, with more than 60 percent of households served having extremely low income (falling at or below 30 percent of area median income).
When the Emergency Rental Assistance Program launched earlier this year, there was little state and local infrastructure to deliver emergency rental assistance— most rental assistance grantees needed to start programs virtually from scratch. Nonetheless, many programs have proven an ability to accelerate aid effectively, with 119 state and local agencies having expended more than half of their first rental assistance funding allocation (ERA1).
While there is still more work to do, this improvement is the result of many months of collaboration between Treasury, the White House, and state and local governments to increase the distribution of assistance to renters and landlords in need. The Administration continues its all-out effort to encourage grantees to avoid or reduce unduly burdensome documentation requirements for verifying income, provide assistance directly to tenants when landlords are not cooperative, and protect renters from eviction after payments are made on their behalf. Last month, Treasury
issued further policy clarity and recommendations meant to accelerate assistance, including clarifying that self-attestation can be used in documenting each aspect of a household’s eligibility for ERA.
Today, Treasury is releasing new program design tools to help grantees serve more eligible households. In a partnership with the U.S. Digital Service, these new tools highlight strong application processes being used on the ground by grantees and incorporate feedback from ERA applicants as well as best practices on accessibility, usability, and consideration of community needs. For example, these materials are informed by practices like language for the self-attestation of COVID-19 financial impact from Oklahoma’s program and the incorporation of fact-based proxies for pre-eligibility checks such as those used in Alaska, California, and Connecticut. With thousands of applications in the pipeline for ERA according to public dashboards, the Administration is also continuing
its call for states and localities to put measures in place ensuring no one is evicted before they have the chance to apply for rental assistance and to ensure no eviction moves forward until that application has been processed.
While Treasury recognizes that many state and local governments faced a difficult task in building the assistance infrastructure needed to get ERA funds to eligible households quickly, the progress seen in recent months by a diverse range of states and localities covering different types of regions and populations shows that it can be done effectively. As required by the ERA1 statute, by the end of September Treasury will begin the process of identifying and reallocating excess funds. This process will make it possible for the highest-performing jurisdictions, many of which also serve the highest-need areas, to access additional resources so they can continue serving tenants and landlords in their communities. Today, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo is sending a letter to all grantees providing further insight into how Treasury intends to approach the reallocation process. Treasury anticipates implementing the reallocation process over a period of time with escalating consequences if a state or locality fails to demonstrate progress in using its ERA1 funds. Treasury will share detailed reallocation guidance, including the threshold for fund recapture, in the coming days.
Key Findings from the August Monthly Report
I. State and local government programs are increasing assistance.
State and local governments have been increasing their spending as they have put in place the infrastructure to be able to serve the large numbers of eligible renters and landlords in their jurisdictions. While many of these jurisdictions lagged behind during the first quarter of the year, their funding distributions have taken off in recent months.
For example, New Jersey, which disbursed no funding in the first quarter, had spent 78% of its ERA1 allocation by the end of August, up from just 37% of its ERA1 allocation a month earlier. As a result, the state more than doubled the number of households served in the month of August compared to July. New Jersey has adopted Treasury’s flexibilities on self-attestation, while also standing up a strong eviction diversion program infrastructure, including incorporating the ERA program into its eviction court system. The state has also engaged in efforts to provide accessible support options to eligible households such as door-to-door efforts in low-income areas and the integration of ERA promotion into vaccine outreach efforts.
On the local level, the City of Nashville and Davidson County, which run a joint ERA program, had also spent 78% of its ERA1 allocation at the end of August by rapidly increasing its distribution of funds over the summer. Spending in August was 130% more than spending in June, and they reported using Treasury’s recommended application flexibilities by allowing the use of self-attestation and direct payments to tenants. This has allowed Nashville/Davidson County to move more applications through their system—in July and August, they served more than four times as many households as in May and June.
Other major jurisdictions, such as New York State, the City of Los Angeles, and Miami-Dade County, have seen similarly large increases in spending. Taken together, these three jurisdictions assisted nearly 27,000 households and spent more than $347 million in August, compared to a collective $800,000 in May. This progress by these and other major jurisdictions was an important factor in the overall growth in rental assistance expenditures to over $2.3 billion in the month of August, with assistance to more than 420,000 households across the country.
II. Many of the states and localities who saw the most growth have recently adopted Treasury’s guidance and flexibilities.
Treasury has provided considerable technical assistance to help jurisdictions adopt rental assistance
best practices, including many flexibilities that allow grantees to accept self-certification from applicants that are not able to provide documentation about their income and other eligibility criteria. Many of the states and localities who are employing these flexibilities to allow applicants to more easily complete their applications have seen significant growth in their ability to quickly get funds into the hands of eligible tenants and landlords in order to prevent evictions.
For example, North Carolina has created a streamlined application process, incorporating fact-based proxies based on geographic census tract information and increased adoption of self-attestation in order to lower application barriers. At the same time, North Carolina’s program has a robust compliance team and an outside vendor supporting their internal audit procedures to guard against instances of fraud. Landlords must sign an agreement stipulating that ERA funds will be applied to rental arrears and, if applicable, future rent. Landlords who accept these funds must also agree that they will not evict that tenant for the term of the period covered by the assistance plus 60 days. The state also ensures that the landlord is not receiving any other rent or utility relief for that period, which helps increase trust in the system. North Carolina spent more than $200 million of its ERA1 funds over the course of July and August; the state was approaching the halfway point of their ERA1 allocation by the end of August.
Similarly, Gwinnett County, GA took advantage of updated guidance provided by Treasury in recent months to help them get rental assistance dollars out into the community. The county has incorporated self-attestation and proxies for income based on census tracts and enrollment in local benefits programs (SNAP, WIC, and other programs) into its application process. Additionally, the process allows applicants to identify other potential areas of need (such as food, medical assistance, and substance abuse support) within the application so that the applicant can be connected to a specific organization providing relevant services in that area.
In addition, Albuquerque, NM program administrators have partnered with the state to roll out their ERA program. Program administrators have noted that the fact-specific proxy has been a powerful tool in providing rental assistance to high-need tenants, especially when paired with bulk assistance to utility companies and landlords. Program administrators have also engaged in data checks against the applicants’ participation in other human services programs to expedite applications, which allows them to simplify the documentation process for the majority of their applicants. The program has also engaged with state tax officials to verify applicant and landlord identities on the backend, which helps to increase the integrity of the system without additional burden on the applicant. After spending $0 in the first quarter of the year, Albuquerque has expended two thirds of their allocation at the end of August.
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August-ERA-Data.xlsxDeputy Secretary ERA Letter_20210924.pdf
Treasury Issues General Licenses and Guidance to Facilitate Humanitarian Assistance in Afghanistan
09/24/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2021
Contact: Treasury Public Affairs;
press@treasury.gov Treasury Issues General Licenses and Guidance to Facilitate Humanitarian Assistance in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued two general licenses (GLs) to support the continued flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and other activities that support basic human needs in Afghanistan. This action continues the U.S. government’s longstanding practice of authorizing the provision of humanitarian goods and services to areas affected by U.S. sanctions. Treasury remains committed to ensuring that U.S. sanctions do not limit the ability of civilians located in Afghanistan to receive humanitarian support from the United States government and international community, while denying assets to the Taliban and other sanctioned entities and individuals.
“Treasury is committed to facilitating the flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and other activities that support their basic human needs. Treasury will continue to work with financial institutions, international organizations, and the nongovernmental organization (NGO) community to ease the flow of critical resources, like agricultural goods, medicine, and other essential supplies, to people in need, while upholding and enforcing our sanctions against the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and other sanctioned entities,” said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea M. Gacki.
As part of this commitment, OFAC issued GL 14, which authorizes the U.S. government, NGOs, and certain international organizations and entities, as well as those acting on their behalf, to engage in the provision of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan or other activities that support basic human needs in Afghanistan. OFAC also issued GL 15, which authorizes certain transactions related to the exportation or reexportation of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices (as well as replacement parts, components, and software updates for medical devices). For more information, please see GLs
14 and
15.
Concurrent with this action, OFAC issued four Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). These FAQs provide additional clarity on the scope of GLs 14 and 15 and provide guidance for non-U.S. persons, including NGOs and foreign financial institutions, engaging in or facilitating transactions for activities authorized for U.S. persons under the GLs. For more information, please see FAQs
928,
929,
930, and
931.
For transactions not otherwise authorized or exempt, OFAC considers license requests on a case-by-case basis and prioritizes applications, compliance questions, and other requests related to humanitarian assistance. For more information regarding the scope of any sanctions program’s requirements or the applicability or scope of any humanitarian-related authorizations, please contact OFAC’s Sanction Compliance and Evaluation Division at (800) 540-6322 or (202) 622-2490, or by email at
OFAC_Feedback@treasury.gov.
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READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen’s Call with French Minister of Finance, the Economy, and the Recovery Bruno Le Maire
09/24/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2021
Contact: Alexandra.LaManna@Treasury.gov
READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen’s Call with French Minister of Finance, the Economy, and the Recovery Bruno Le Maire
WASHINGTON – Earlier today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen spoke with French Minister of Finance, the Economy, and the Recovery Bruno Le Maire. Following the historic agreement by the G7 in earlier this summer – which was later supported by 134 countries representing more than 90% of the world’s GDP – to reform international tax rules, Secretary Yellen today expressed continued support for ongoing efforts to improve the global tax system. Secretary Yellen also stressed the importance of reaching a compromise on the withdrawal of digital services taxes. Secretary Yellen conveyed appreciation for Minister Le Maire’s dedication to the effort of reforming the global tax system so it is equipped to meet the needs of today’s global economy. She also discussed with Finance Minister Le Maire the need for continued cooperation between the U.S., France, and other G20 members to enhance support for low-income countries to mitigate further divergence in the global economic recovery.
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Treasury Announces New U.S. Mint Acting Director
09/24/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
September 24, 2021
Contact: Dayanara Ramirez;
press@treasury.gov Treasury Announces New U.S. Mint Acting Director
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Alison Doone as the new Acting Director of the U.S. Mint. Doone previously served as Chief Administrative Officer at the Mint. Doone’s first day as Acting Director will be on October 1 as Director David J. Ryder leaves the bureau to pursue new opportunities.
“I’m excited to serve the U.S. Mint as Acting Director to help it continue its important work,” said Alison Doone. “I look forward to working alongside the devoted Mint employees across the country and supporting our ongoing efforts to ensure that we are operating efficiently and producing quality products for the American people.”
“We thank Director Ryder for his dedicated service to the U.S. Mint and welcome Alison to serve in this role,” said Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo. “It is essential for the U.S. Mint to continue its critical operations to produce our coinage amid increased demand and safeguard American assets. I have confidence that Alison’s leadership will help us carry out this mission.”
“It was an honor to serve as the 34th and the 39th Director of the U.S. Mint,” said Director David J. Ryder. “During this global pandemic, the U.S. Mint has showcased American excellence. Not only did the Mint meet its primary mission of producing circulating coinage, but it generated near-record revenue by introducing wildly popular numismatic products at a time in which many of its peers around the world ceased operations. Thank you to all of the employees who work tirelessly and play a role in ensuring that the Mint can meet the demands of the public, deliver quality products, and operate effectively. I know that with Alison serving as Acting Director, the Mint will continue to do just that.”
Doone, a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2004, has served as the Mint’s Chief Administrative Officer since March 2021.
Before beginning her work with the Mint, Ms. Doone served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Education from August 2018 to March 2021; Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Department of Energy from January 2013 to August 2018; Chief Financial Officer at the General Services Administration from September 2010 to January 2013; Chief and Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Internal Revenue Service from August 2005 to September 2010; and, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration from June 2004 to August 2005. Prior to her appointments in the SES, Ms. Doone served as a Senior Level (SL), Deputy Staff Director for Management at the Federal Election Commission from November 1999 to June 2004.
Ms. Doone holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s degree in finance from the University of Michigan.
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READOUT: Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo and White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling Meeting with Faith Leaders
09/24/2021
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2021
Contact: Elizabeth Bourgeois; Press@Treasury.gov
READOUT: Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo and White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling Meeting with Faith Leaders
WASHINGTON – Today, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling convened a meeting with faith leaders representing a diverse set of congregations and faith-based nonprofits from across the country to discuss efforts to raise awareness about resources included in the American Rescue Plan. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo and Mr. Sperling thanked the leaders for the work they’ve done to help people in their congregations and communities know about resources like the Child Tax Credit and Emergency Rental Assistance and how to sign up. They shared that one of the key learnings from the first six months of implementing these programs has been the importance of trusted messengers. Deputy Secretary Adeyemo said he recognizes that federal government agencies can face a trust deficit, which is why Treasury has worked hard to engage other institutions like places of worship or faith-based organizations to reach people through their communities. Faith leaders on the call shared best practices and the efforts their organizations are making to raise awareness of available federal relief programs and Mr. Sperling and the Deputy Secretary offered their continued support.
Participants included:
• Catholic Charities USA
• Salvation Army
• Church of God in Christ
• Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
• National Latino Evangelical Coalition
• Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
• Jewish Federations of North America
• National Association of Evangelicals
• Conference of National Black Churches
• NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
• Friends Committee on National Legislation
• AME Church
• CityGate Network
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