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Federal Register/Vol. 87, No. 18/Thursday, January 27, 2022/Rules and Regulations 4365
<br /> and families that may otherwise become Interventions or services that address were responsive to the negative
<br /> involved in the child welfare system. the impact of lost instructional time economic impacts of the pandemic
<br /> Treasury Response:In the final rule, may include offering high-quality when provided to disproportionately
<br /> Treasury is clarifying that services to tutoring and other extended learning impacted households and communities.
<br /> foster youth,including those aging out opportunities,providing differentiated The enumerated uses included
<br /> of the system, and child welfare- instruction,implementing activities to supportive housing or other programs or
<br /> involved families may encompass a meet the comprehensive needs of services to improve access to stable,
<br /> wide array of financial, educational, students, expanding and improving affordable housing among individuals
<br /> child development, or health supports, language access for parents and families, who are homeless and development of
<br /> or other supports necessary,including providing information and assistance to affordable housing to increase supply of
<br /> supports for kinship care. parents and families on how they can affordable and high-quality living units.
<br /> 9.Addressing the impacts of lost effectively support students,including Many recipients have already
<br /> instructional time. in a distance learning environment, announced plans to use SLFRF funds
<br /> Public Comment:The interim final improving student engagement in for affordable housing interventions in
<br /> rule included an enumerated eligible distance education,and administering all of these categories. Treasury received
<br /> use to address educational disparities in and using high-quality assessments to many comments asking for additional
<br /> disproportionately impacted assess students'academic progress, clarity or flexibility in these uses.
<br /> communities,recognizing that among others. In designing services As detailed below,based on multiple
<br /> underserved students have been more under this eligible use,recipients may public comments and questions and
<br /> severely impacted by the pandemic and wish to reference guidance from the Treasury's subsequent analysis,
<br /> including responsive services for early Department of Education on strategies Treasury has determined that
<br /> learning, enhance funding to high- for addressing lost instructional time.151 supportive housing or other programs or
<br /> poverty districts, and providing The final rule also maintains a services to improve access to stable,
<br /> evidence-based services to address the separate enumerated eligible use for affordable housing among individuals
<br /> academic,social, emotional, and mental addressing educational disparities in who are homeless,and the development
<br /> health needs of students. Some disproportionately impacted of affordable housing to increase supply
<br /> commenters expressed concerns that communities. This eligible use includes of affordable and high-quality living
<br /> learning loss or the negative impacts of services to address disparities in units are responsive to the needs of
<br /> lost instructional time due to school educational outcomes that predate the impacted populations,not only
<br /> closures or remote education during the pandemic and amplified its impact on disproportionately impacted
<br /> pandemic had affected a significant underserved students;these include,for populations.This final rule reflects this
<br /> share of students in grades kindergarten example, enhanced funding to high- clarification and builds on the
<br /> through twelve (K-12),including poverty districts and providing objectives stated in the interim final rule
<br /> students who may not fall within a evidence-based services to address the to improve access to stable,affordable
<br /> disproportionally impacted group. academic,social, emotional, and mental housing, including through
<br /> Background:The COVID-19 health needs of students. interventions that increase the supply of
<br /> pandemic resulted in the widespread Finally,as described in the section affordable and high-quality living units,
<br /> closure of schools across the nation. Public Health,recipients can provide a improve housing security,and support
<br /> While many schools and districts broad range of behavioral health durable and sustainable
<br /> reopened to in-person instruction or services,including services for children homeownership.
<br /> implemented remote learning,the shift and youth in schools,to respond to the Finally,note that"emergency housing
<br /> was not immediate or without impacts of the pandemic on mental assistance," or assistance for responses
<br /> consequence. Children who received health and other behavioral health to the immediate negative economic
<br /> virtual only or combined remote and in- issues. When providing behavioral impacts of the pandemic through
<br /> person instruction were more likely to health services,recipients may presume services like financial assistance for
<br /> report experiencing negative mental- that the general public was impacted by rental arrears or mortgage payments,is
<br /> and physical health outcomes than the pandemic and provide behavioral also an eligible use category for
<br /> h health services to members of the children who received in-person assistance to households under the final
<br /> instruction.150 general public,including children and rule; see the eligible use for"emergency
<br /> Treasury Response:Under the final youth in schools,without any further housing assistance" above. The
<br /> rule,addressing the impact of lost analysis of impacts of the pandemic on provision of housing vouchers and
<br /> instructional time and/or learning loss those individuals and whether the assistance relocating to neighborhoods
<br /> is an enumerated eligible use for service is responsive. with higher levels of economic
<br /> impacted households. When providing 10.Promoting long-term housing opportunity remains an eligible use
<br /> services to address lost instructional security:affordable housing and under assistance to disproportionately
<br /> time,recipients may presume that any homelessness.Under the interim final impacted households;for discussion,
<br /> K-12 student who lost access to in- rule,recipients may use SLFRF funds to see the eligible use for"housing
<br /> person instruction for a significant provide a set of housing services to vouchers and assistance relocating"
<br /> period of time has been impacted by the communities that have been below.
<br /> pandemic and is thus eligible for disproportionately impacted by the Background:Affordable Housing:It is
<br /> responsive services. pandemic. Specifically,the interim final clear that the ongoing pandemic and
<br /> rule provided that programs or services resulting economic crisis are having a
<br /> 150 Verlenden JV,Pampati S,Rasberry CN,et al. that address housing insecurity,lack of profound,long-term negative effect on
<br /> Association of Children's Mode of School affordable housing, or homelessness, the pre-existing affordable housing
<br /> Instruction with Child and Parent Experiences and crisis facing low-income households.152
<br /> Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic— 151 U.S.Department of Education,Strategies for
<br /> COVID Experiences Survey,United States,October Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Address
<br /> 8—November 13,2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly the Impact of Lost Instructional Time,August 2021. 152 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,
<br /> Rep 2021;70:369-376.DOI:http://dx.doi.orgl Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/documents/ Housing insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic
<br /> 10.15585/minwr.min7011a1external icon. coronavirus/lost-instructional-time.pdf. Continued
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