Over 50 people attended Friday’s Rent Strike 2020 organizing call, representing over 20 cities in every region of the country! Renters shared their organizing experience, highlighted recent actions to block evictions where the courts have already re-opened, and discussed how to fight back against the looming “tsunami” of evictions working class people face come fall.
Did you miss the call? Stay tuned for the next one in early September. One thing you can do right now to support this movement is pitch in $15 to make sure we’re as prepared as possible as September 1st approaches.
While politicians are bickering about extending the stimulus, billionaires are getting richer. During the pandemic billionaires increased their wealth by an estimated $685 billion. Meanwhile, more renters than ever before are taking on additional debt to make ends meet. The Aspen Institute reports that 30% of renters report borrowing cash or getting a loan to pay rent. Rental payments using a credit card have increased 43% since last year!
We need to get organized! An estimated 30-40 million people in America are at risk of being evicted, the majority of whom are immigrants, LGBTQ, or people of color.
Along with organizing to stop evictions, we can get organized to stop rent increases, cancel rental debt, and deal with slumlords. We know there was already a severe housing crisis before COVID hit. Almost half of all renters were already “cost-burdened,” meaning they paid more than a third of their income towards rent, and a quarter of renters already paid more than 50% of their income. When we join forces and build a united movement, we can fight back to win the relief renters need and deserve, during this pandemic and beyond!