Unfortunately a ban on evictions does nothing to help people who have lost income, and it is especially not helpful in the next 30 days when rent is coming due. What would help most is rent assistance. Longer term if people are encouraged not to pay rent, and a balance builds, they will have an incentive to abandon their lease. What incentive is bad credit going to be in these uncertain times? Almost none. What people need is the certainty of some cash to make it to the other side and a helping hand from other people. 

Here’s what I’ve heard from a housing provider from his outreach to his residents.

“In the first 48 hours after reaching out to residents, we heard back from slightly under 5% who were both recently unemployed and interested in working on our properties for a rent credit.  Roughly half of these respondents have filled out the paperwork to get started.  From these, five residents of our properties showed up for work, on time, this morning to start their Day 1 of this new world we live in.We have several more lined up to start on Monday”

Here are some of the comments from residents:

• Thank you so much for having such a comprehensive plan and being so considerate of our individual needs in this strange time. 
• Thank you all for thinking about us during these difficult times.
• Anything will help. I’m open to any type of work available 
• I’M WILLING TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO KEEP MY APARTMENT
• I can do manual labor, maintenance and general upkeep as needed.

At this point, partnering with government is important to help residents recover. Capitulation to government in order to be seen as “helpful” or “good corporate citizens” is a one way ticket to eventual government control of housing when the crisis is done. If something is not done to support housing providers at this time from their debt, and foreclosure happens, the only entity with the power and money to buy them back will be government.

I can’t help but think of an iconic scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, usually called the “Bank Run Scene.” It’s the beginning of the depression and people are trying to get their money out of the bank and George Bailey’s Building and Loan. The villainous Mr. Potter is buying up everything in town because he has cash. Bailey implores people to hang on.

“If Potter gets ahold of this building and loan they’ll never be another decent house built in this town, he’s already got charge of the bank, he’s got the bus line, he got the department stores, and now he’s after us . . . Can’t you understand what’s happening here? Don’t you see what’s happening? Potter isn’t selling Potter’s buying! And why? Because we’re panicky and he’s not, that’s why. He’s picking up some bargains. Now we can get through this thing alright. We’ve got to stick together though. We’ve got to have faith in each other!”

The words were true then, and they are true now.

Let the City Council and Mayor know your thoughts by sending them an e-mail.

Here’s our letter to the City Council: 

March 21 letter from Roger Valdez