The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Response to COVID-19 and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act

In late December 2019, a novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), leading Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar to declare a Public Health Emergency in the United States on January 31, 2020, pursuant to his authority under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act.1 The COVID19 outbreak grew to pandemic status as of March 11, 2020, according to the WHO.

Helen C. Huang, Elizabeth M. Davis, Hugh Lutz, and Amy L. Brown