Renée Cherez Nicole Cardoza Renée Cherez Nicole Cardoza

Protect housing rights during COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has and continues to wreak havoc on every sector of society, but perhaps the most pressing is the looming housing catastrophe. COVID-19, a virus that spreads through respiratory droplets, can be regulated with social distancing and quarantine measures, but how can it be controlled if millions of people are forced to live on the streets/

Happy Sunday! Each week we share insights on the racial disparities of COVID-19. I didn't think that when I started this newsletter on June 3 that we'd still be in the midst of this global pandemic, but here we are. And as we wait for Congress to pass a new stimulus deal, we need to do whatever we can to support our community in need. Renée joins us today with a critical look at COVID-19 and housing insecurity.

As we continue to cover COVID-19, remember that these disparities in critical infrastructure – like healthcare, education, housing, employment, etc – always existed here in the U.S. COVID-19 didn't create them, just exposed them. Taking action "during COVID-19" is only for emphasis; we should always do our part to help close these critical gaps in our society.

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  • Support GoFundMe campaigns of people looking for support to pay their rent, particularly if they identify as BIPOC. Search by location to find individuals in need near you.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

The coronavirus pandemic has and continues to wreak havoc on every sector of society, but perhaps the most pressing is the looming housing catastrophe. COVID-19, a virus that spreads through respiratory droplets, can be regulated with social distancing and quarantine measures, but how can it be controlled if millions of people are forced to live on the streets?

 

Of the 110 million Americans living in renter households, the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project found that between 19 and 23 million people will be at risk for eviction by September 30th (CEDP). The project was created in response to the pandemic and the housing crisis it exacerbates by pairing legal experts with tenants who need legal advice or legal representation.

 

With a three-headed monster nearing: flu season, an imminent second-wave of the coronavirus, and colder weather, more must be done by the federal government to keep people safe and healthy in their homes. The primary federal relief bill passed, the CARES Act, established a moratorium on evictions for federally subsidized homes and homes covered by federally backed mortgages like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Bloomberg). While single-family homeowners with federally funded mortgages will receive reprieve until the end of the year, no additional safety nets have been granted to renters (FHFA).

 

Unemployment has reached unprecedented numbers in America, making it even more infuriating that people are facing eviction. During the Great Recession of 2008, unemployment peaked at 10.7% over two years. In May, unemployment reached as high as 14.4% (in 3 months) due to COVID-19 (Pew Research).

 

In July, 32% of U.S. households were unable to make their full housing payments, while 19% missed payment all together (CNBC). At the height of the pandemic, 44.2 million Americans filed for unemployment (Fortune). This past week, one million new unemployment claims were filed, which begs how people can pay their housing costs without a reliable income (CNBC)?  Making people choose between feeding their children and paying rent is inhumane.

 

Unsurprisingly, evictions have a tremendous effect on low-income women, particularly women from Black neighborhoods. A research study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, found that Black women only make up 9.6% of the population, yet they make up 30% of all evictions. Nationally, 8% of Latinx women and 20% of Black women are evicted each year (Aspen Institute).

 

In New York City, 70% of housing court cases are by women of color head of households, particularly Black and Latinx women (Aspen Institute). Some of the risk factors contributing to women’s eviction are having children, domestic violence, lower wages, and even the power dynamic between male landlords and female tenants. It’s also not uncommon for landlords to maliciously evict people from their homes knowing their building is indeed covered by a federal moratorium (Washington Post).

  

Rent burdened, a term used to describe households who pay more than 30% of their income towards rent disproportionately affects people of color (Aspen Institute). Black and Latinx people make up 80% of national evictions (Harvard Law Review). Another study found Black households were twice as likely than white households to be evicted (Harvard Law Review). During the Covid-19 pandemic in Boston, 70% of market-rate evictions were filed in communities of color; however, those areas only make up half of the city’s rental market (Boston Evictions).

 

During the pandemic’s height, loss of jobs primarily affected people of color at higher rates than their white counterparts. And let’s not forget people with disabilities who notoriously have higher rates of unemployment, LGBTQ+ people who experience homelessness at higher rates, and undocumented immigrants who pay taxes but do not receive unemployment benefits or stimulus assistance (Aspen Institute).

 

These groups of people will undoubtedly experience the hardships that impending evictions will bring, and in some places, they’ve already begun. Tenants in New Orleans have come to find their belongings lining the sidewalk as federal moratoriums expired on August 24th (WSJ). With courts re-opening virtually, millions of people will be forced out of their homes in the coming weeks without help from the federal government.  

 

In May, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, which would authorize a $100 billion fund relief for housing. Republicans have countered with the HEALS Act, which does not offer any housing relief assistance (CNBC).

 

Housing advocates and renter activists are pushing for states, cities, and counties to extend moratoriums on evictions to counter the federal government’s lack of action. The National Low Income Housing Coalition is calling for a national uniformed 12-month moratorium on evictions and foreclosures (NLIHC).

 

In California, Governor Newsom passed a bill that will ban evictions for tenants who’ve been unable to pay their rent citing financial hardship due to the coronavirus; however, they will need to pay at least 25% of their cumulative rent between September 1st and January 31st (KTLA).

 

Homelessness should not only outrage some but all. If this pandemic has made anything clear, people of color bear the brunt of this crisis on every level. It should also illuminate the areas in which the government we pay with our tax dollars should be far more useful in times of crisis.

 

Granting housing assistance to people who live in this country, regardless of their identity and sexual orientation is a fundamental human right and should be free of political gymnastics. As the temperature outside changes, there is work to be done for those being punished for no other reason than being poor in a pandemic.   

key takeaways

  • Between 19 and 23 million people will be at risk for eviction by September 30th.

  • Nationally, 8% of Latina women and 20% of Black women are evicted each year.

  • The National Low Income Housing Coalition is calling for a national uniformed 12-month moratorium on evictions.

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