Activists urge the government to cancel rents and mortgages.
Organizers from Cancel the Rents Boston and Boston community members will hold a demonstration at Nubian Square on April 24. The call to action is intended to highlight the shortcomings of the government, who must address the current housing crisis, “starting with canceling rents and mortgages for renters, homeowners, small businesses and small landlords,” according to a press release.
On a nation wide level, approximately 40 million people could be facing the possibility of eviction because of the impact of the coronavirus and the collapse of the economy. Over 50 million working class people have lost jobs. Income loss figures have increased by almost 10% above the national figures, for non-white families.
“For Wall Street there have been bailouts and a massive infusion of cash into the financial system — but what has the government done to address the crisis for working people?” reads the press release. “Only an uneven patchwork of temporary assistance, most of which have expired or have been cut back. What we crucially need is ongoing replacement income for those who cannot work, yet what we’re getting is the government trying to revoke unemployment benefits from working people, causing evictions and furthering the spread of COVID.”
The demonstration will be held in Roxbury at 1 p.m. More information about the event can be found here: CancelTheRents.org.
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.
