In New Letter, Massive Coalition Urges Congress to Pass Eviction Moratorium, Make Rental Assistance Accessible, and Hold Hearing on Evictions
Contact: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 202.660.0605
WASHINGTON, D.C.—People’s Action today sent a letter signed by more than 200 tenant organizations, direct service providers, and advocacy groups from across the country calling on Congress to protect tenants. This letter, addressed to Speaker Pelosi and House Financial Services Committee Chair Waters, responds to the United States Supreme Court striking down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction moratorium last night.
“Tenants across the country are suffering. This suffering, especially among working-class tenants and communities of color, predates the COVID-19 pandemic,” the organizations wrote. “Now it is more pronounced than ever, as tenants face insurmountable rental debts and, per the Supreme Court decision yesterday, millions may be forced out of their homes and onto the streets in the coming weeks. Hundreds of thousands more have already been displaced, forced from their homes by landlords who have exploited loopholes in the CDC’s eviction moratorium, or evicted by local judges who have refused to fully implement it.”
Specifically, the organizations are calling on Congress to:
- Legislate a real eviction moratorium that is automatic and bans all evictions of any kind along with filings, hearings, and judgements;
- Minimize barriers to rental assistance, let community organizations distribute funds, and apply conditions to landlords receiving rental assistance funds;
- Hold a House Financial Services Committee hearing on evictions and rental assistance immediately.
The full letter text and list of supporting organizations, with more being added, is available here.
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People’s Action is a national network of 40 state and local grassroots, power-building organizations in 30 states, united in fighting for justice. We operate the largest progressive rural organizing project in the country. People’s Action and its member organizations coordinated one of the biggest distributed organizing programs in rural areas this past election season.