DS News, March 31, 2020: Activists Push for Further Eviction Moratoriums
While California Governor Gavin Newsom has placed a two-month delay on imposing evictions for people who cannot pay rent due to the COVID-19 crisis, many renters feel there is not enough being done to address their needs. According to The Guardian, tenants’ groups say the governor’s order does not go far enough.
“If six months later, I had a $20,000 debt waiting for me that I was expected to pay off right away, that would not be possible, especially after months of not having a stable paycheck,” said Lupe Arreola, Executive Director of Tenants Together.
According to Jesse Van Tol, the CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a blanket national halt to evictions and foreclosures would help policymakers get ahead of any uptick in delinquencies and defaults, preventing the government form “reacting to it and playing catch-up,” he told American Banker.
