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In light of the murder of George Floyd and the string of other killings including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon "Sean" Reed and others we are encouraging everyone to bring signs against racist police and vigilante violence to the protests to Cancel the Rents. Car caravans, where possible, can drive by police stations or other government buildings demanding an end to racist violence.
Of course the right to housing is inextricably linked with racism and police violence. When people are evicted it is the police who can throw them out. The racist redlining of neighborhoods was enforced by police. People of color are disproportionately affected by substandard-housing conditions and evictions. When fighting for justice our struggles become stronger when linked together.
The patchwork of city and state moratoriums on evictions are not enough. In a few months when these moratoriums are lifted and the rents come due -- we will still not have the money! Join thousands of people across the country in car caravan protests on Saturday, May 30 to demand the cancellation of rent, mortgages and all debts to landlords for the duration of the pandemic. Protesters will adhere to social distancing guidelines and requirements, including wearing masks, that have been established to respond to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Now is the time to act to cancel rents and mortgage payments for tenants, homeowners, small landlords and other small businesses! Massive testing and personal protective equipment are still not available, despite the great productive capacity of the United States. In December 2019, when COVID-19 presented in China, the United States was warned that we would be affected. Instead of using the next two months to prepare, Trump and the U.S. government ignored public health experts, even ridiculing them. Now, due to this lack of preparedness, the United States has become the epicenter of the pandemic.
The effect on the people is devastating. Nearly 90,000 people in the United States have died and more than 1.5 million have gotten ill. There is no end to the health and economic crisis in the near future. 37 million people have lost their jobs since March with millions more jobless to come. We are in the worst depression since the 1930s, and it’s getting worse.
As a result of the economic crisis, at least 30 percent of renters will be unable to pay their rent on June 1st. No one should lose their housing for any reason in this crisis! The rents and mortgages must be cancelled!
A short-term suspension of evictions is not enough to save people's homes. And the meager rescue stimulus payments the government provided are long gone for most people. Even if there is another one, it will be needed for food, healthcare and other necessities.
Canceling rents and mortgage payments for the duration of the crisis can be won! Since the start of the pandemic in the United States, the federal government has pumped at least 5 trillion dollars into the big banks and the largest corporations. Only $249 billion was allocated for unemployment funding. This massive gift to the banks — the 1% at the top, compared to the 160 million U.S. workers — is 20 times the amount allotted for the unemployed. The money is there, it is simply a question of whether it is used to bail out Wall Street or to protect the homes of poor and working people. This wealth and the vast number of vacant housing units can be used to provide shelter for the homeless as well.
The government has the authority to cancel the rent. In fact, a bill has already been introduced in Congress, the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act . But this will be bitterly opposed by the landlords and big banks. The mobilization of the people, done in a socially responsible way, is urgently needed to ensure housing for all.
If you agree with the call to Cancel the Rents and Mortgage Payments for tenants, homeowners, small landlords and small businesses, join or organize a Car Caravan in your area on Saturday, May 30!
