The U.S., like many countries staggering under the impact of COVID-19, is facing a hopefully-temporary crisis of individual and family poverty. One consequence has been an inability of a great many to afford home mortgage payments as well as rent payments — the latter particularly acute as it has more swiftly impacted those with low incomes for whom monthly rent has always been a struggle.
The U.S. federal government has largely taken a “do-it-yourself” approach to this national crisis, resulting in a festival of lesser jurisdictions spawning a myriad of temporary solutions to stave off housing evictions. Unfortunately, the patchwork of government initiatives are pierced with enough loopholes to ensure that some people are already losing their shelter.
With few indications that government blockades against evictions are anything but temporary, activists are fighting with whatever tools come to hand to ensure that as many Americans as possible can avoid eviction.
For the current state of play in the battle against evictions, read more in Shelterforce: Tenants Block Evictions by Any Means
