Will we let more people become homeless?

Latest

Protest calling for cancelling rents and mortgages, Sacramento, CA.
PHOTO: Courtney Hanson

 
Millions of renters are facing the possibility of becoming unhoused as the crisis has left them jobless and unable to pay rent. The limited federal, state and local moratoriums on eviction have either expired or are about to. It’s imperative now that everyone rally to the demands of the movement: cancel the rent, no evictions, house the homeless, universal basic income.
Below are the thoughts and experiences of a few of the people who are facing the prospect of eviction. They told their stories to the New York Times in a story published May 27.
Sandy Naffah, in her 50s, Euclid, Ohio—She lost both her two part-time jobs, and fell behind on the $800-a-month rent on her one-bedroom apartment. As of late May, she was still waiting for the one-time federal stimulus check and for her unemployment benefits. “It’s a ticking clock,” she said. “I can’t continue to go on this way, otherwise I will be out on the street.”
Christie Wilson, 37, Decatur, Georgia—She fled from a dangerous relationship, and spent several months sleeping in her car last year before a veterans program helped her pay for a two-bedroom apartment. She had recently gotten a job at a warehouse, and after working for two days was laid off in March as the virus outbreak got worse. A few weeks later she got an eviction notice. She worries about getting Covid-19 if she ends up in a homeless shelter.
Stephen Jenkins, 64, Springfield, Ohio—He lost his assembly job in January, making it difficult to pay his $900 monthly rent. By March, his savings had run out, and he asked his landlord if he could pay the rent late, after his Social Security check came through. His landlord filed to evict him. Since then, his wife lost her job at a restaurant when the virus outbreak forced restaurants to shut down. “I haven’t slept through a night since March,” he said. “I wake up at three or four in the morning worried about what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
&nnbsp;

People demand govt. act to stop coming eviction wave


 

PT Logo collage
+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

‘We Need Urgent Global Climate Action’

Eighty-nine percent of people worldwide want their governments to do more to address the global climate crisis. Conference on tipping points says situation is urgent. Meanwhile U.S. govt does more to boost fossil fuel forms of energy.

May Day 2025: United We Will Win

International Worker’s Day is celebrated on May 1st around the world. Today, the entire U.S. working class, of which immigrants comprise an integral part, is under attack. The defense of immigrants is vital to the defense of the entire working class.

White School Officer Pepper-sprayed and Kneed Black Beaumont, TX Student, Complaint says. Will Feds Act?

A 6-second video, recorded by a teacher and reviewed by the Texas Observer, shows an officer grabbing a student’s hair, kneeing her in the face, and knocking the 100-pound girl on her back.

Pope Francis Dies After Easter Plea to End War in Gaza

"In his final public message, Pope Francis decried the “terrible conflict” in Gaza.

Bring Union Brother Kilmar Home: His Deportation Is an Attack on All of Us

The deportation of union brother Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a gut punch to the labor movement, a slap in the face to every worker who dares to organize.

More from the People's Tribune