There is a ripple effect of the novel Coronavirus in almost every aspect of society, as all of you know. One of those effects, though, has remained relatively uncovered by media and professionals alike; the eviction crisis.
Disclaimer: this piece is not a generalization of all landlords. Many are giving their tenants rent-free stays, discounts, etc, and kudos to them.
With COVID-19 putting many out of work, people around the country are met with the daunting task of submitting rent with no direct income. The byproduct of missing rent is eviction, where a landlord will remove the tenants from the property.
So, this makes for an awful storm - once renters are now becoming homeless amidst a pandemic that spreads like wildfire. The last thing society needs right now is more people living on the street, especially when it is an avoidable scenario like this one.
More action surrounding this topic needs to be taken at all levels of government - local, state and federal - to assure this looming crisis does not reach uncontrollable levels. According to an article by Chris Roberts of Curbed San Francisco, “the coronavirus ‘recovery’ portends more evictions and more subsequent losses of housing than the 2008-2009 recession, along with plummeting rental incomes for property owners of all sizes.”
This is a startling fact, and should serve as an indicator that this problem is very real and very close to igniting. Any amount of homeless people is awful - everybody deserves the right to shelter - but in the middle of a pandemic where infection counts are rising each day makes for a particularly grim future.
Lawmakers at all levels can act upon this, and to some of their credit, they have. “In late March, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced he’d struck a deal with Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, US Bank, and 200 smaller lenders to delay mortgage payments and stave off foreclosures for at least 90 days.” This is amazing, and props to Gov Newsom, but lawmakers need to follow in his footsteps. Planning for a rainy day is important, but this is the Great Flood and people need help. Just as the government bailed out the banks in 2008, it needs to bail out its citizens in 2020.
Other governors and government officials have helped with this cause, but we need all of them to. Princeton University went ahead and created The Eviction Lab, a one-stop shop where you can learn about eviction rates in their community, their community’s “grade” for eviction rates, and much more surrounding some landlord’s unfair treatment. Learn the trends, read the stories, and inform your friends.
This relatively newfound crisis can have catastrophic consequences, but let’s not find them out. Call your local government officials, donate to organizations, and take action. People shouldn’t have to sacrifice their homes under circumstances that are entirely out of their control.
If you are interested in helping out with someone else’s rent payments, go to the following links:
https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/get_help_paying_rent.html
https://www.lendup.com/20-programs-for-emergency-rent-assistance
