Van Jones is CEO of REFORM Alliance and co-founder of #cut50, a bipartisan criminal justice initiative of the Dream Corps. He is also the author of "Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together." The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

(CNN) As the list of cities and states where Americans are sheltering in place thankfully grows longer, far too many families are wondering how they are going to pay rent in just a few days' time.

The congressional stimulus package gets us part of the way there, but this one-time cash payment -- $1,200 per individual, $2,400 per couple, plus an additional $500 per child -- is simply not enough.

Giving money directly to American families through cash payments so they have the flexibility and autonomy to make their own financial decisions is the right idea. But we need to increase the amount and frequency of those payments.

Just consider this: For the over 100 million American families who rent, that bill alone comes in at $1,405 a month , on average. It doesn't take an economist to see that the math doesn't work out. Let's say you've just lost your job working in a hotel or restaurant -- getting a direct cash payment to help pay your rent in a few days is great, but what about next month? How do you restock your fridge? Pay your electricity bill? And, if you're one of the millions of people who live, work and pay taxes in America but aren't a citizen -- you can forget about any help at all.

While the stimulus bill offers a boost of $600 per week on top of state unemployment insurance benefits -- and I think this was a very important part of the bill that Democrats fought hard for -- those benefits are only in place for four months. Then what?