To the Editor,
Rent should be withheld during the COVID-19 pandemic
As a social work student, I’m constantly shocked by hearing people losing their jobs or forced to take unpaid sick time and still required to pay their rent. There are single parents, young mothers and fathers, and working individuals who are being affected by this pandemic.
It’s been addressed that the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program will be providing $5 million dollars for people facing housing instability. This will help individuals and families facing eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies caused by the loss of income due to COVID-19.
I can’t imagine the stress of these individuals in this situation. In order to get any support right now one must face housing emergencies. Hard working people and families are losing their jobs and trying their hardest to remain calm and stay healthy for their communities. It’s completely flawed to expect people who lost their income to pay their rent during this time.
Massachusetts and our own communities can do better! We need to realize this state of emergency we’re in and how critical it is to keep people stress-free and safe during this time. The immune system weakens when people become stressed, let’s keep people in their own homes and let this pandemic hopefully resolve sooner rather than later. Rent from everyone should be completely withheld during this pandemic and until people return back to work. It shouldn’t wait until the last minute when someone is facing evictions or the loss of utilities. This is a time when society should come together and take care of one another. What good would it do to put human beings on the streets or have our own friends and neighbors in worse situations than they may already be in? The COVID-19 pandemic is completely horrendous and I hope this can get better soon, but it won’t if we’re threatening people with their only safe zone.
Constanza Cressotti
