About a month into the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people in the U.S. have lost their jobs and/or have had their hours significantly reduced. Which is why I believe our government should suspend rent, utilities and any other kind of bills until this is over.
With millions filing unemployment claims this month according to a news release by the Department of Labor, or already living paycheck to paycheck, how does our government expect for people to be able to pay bills during a global health pandemic?
I have many friends who worked in the food service industry and were fired within the first week this started. They are worried about how they will be able to pay their rent for next month, how they will pay for their light and water bills, and most importantly, how they will be able to survive.
The stress from those unanswered concerns will have an impact on people’s mental health, especially if those individuals are college students. The stress can carry over to our academics, in our, now, online courses. How will students be able to concentrate on classes when they are worried about what will happen to them in the coming months?
A good example of a government enacting policies to protect its citizens from hardships is what France is doing. On March 16, French President Emmanuel Macron declared, in a national address, France will suspend rent and utility bills amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Across the country, major cities such as New York City and Los Angeles, have temporarily banned evictions. But people are demanding rent bills be waived and not delayed for the future.
A response that has spurred a movement and organization across the country is #Rentstrike2020. Tenants across the country have united to impose a rent strike if local governments will not take action to ensure people will not be evicted and charged later on for rent.
“Our initial demand is simple: every governor, in every state, must do what is necessary to ensure a two-month freeze on the payment of rent, residential mortgages and utility bills (including sanitation, power, water, gas, & internet services) to allow working families to do what is necessary to prepare for the difficult social measures required to flatten the outbreak curve,” the rent strike organization’s website said.
Locally, the City of Edinburg made the decision to not disconnect water services due to nonpayment, and is the only city in Hidalgo County to do so. With the virus continuing to grow by the day in Hidalgo County, I am calling for elected officials of all the county’s municipalities to freeze rent and utility bills until this pandemic is over.
Hidalgo County is one of the poorest areas in the state, with a poverty rate of 30% according to the United States Census Bureau, with many undocumented residents not being accounted for in those numbers.
With many people living paycheck to paycheck, just barely making ends meet, I believe it should be at least what local county and city officials should do to ensure Hidalgo County residents still have running water, electricity and will not be evicted and thrown out onto the streets during this global health crisis.
