Lynn United for Change is joining housing justice groups, community organizations, and unions across the state in urging the State Legislature to enact a strong eviction and foreclosure moratorium within a week, based on legislation passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives last Thursday afternoon.
We greatly appreciate state Sen. Brendan Crighton’s recognition of the urgency of this issue, and in particular we commend his strong statement in support of a moratorium as a matter of public health. We are hopeful that as Senate Chair of the Housing Committee he will be able to play a key role in ensuring passage next week of final legislation based on House Bill 4615 that halts all phases of the eviction process.
With the approach and passage of the first day of the month, there has been increasing urgency about the need for a full and immediate statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 crisis.
Layoffs and unemployment have increased at spectacular levels, our collective well-being requires that most people stay at home, and the most vulnerable members of our community will face dire consequences if action is delayed. It is not an exaggeration to say that lives hang in the balance.
While court orders and new federal laws have provided protection to certain groups of renters and homeowners, the vast majority of Massachusetts residents have remained vulnerable. Some lenders and landlords are still sending panic-inducing eviction and foreclosure notices, which we know often push people to pack up and leave.
More than 481 new eviction cases have been filed in court since March 16, and tenants continue to receive confusing letters setting trial dates. Landlords are even currently allowed to order forced move-outs based on cases they won prior to the start of the crisis.
We need a moratorium for reasons of equity and fairness as well as public health. It would be unconscionable to allow Massachusetts residents to be pushed out of their homes and onto the streets or into overcrowded shelters during this emergency. And it would be unjust and counterproductive for workers to continue to feel so threatened by eviction letters and court notices that they endanger themselves or violate physical distancing in desperate search of income. Until we have an across the board moratorium, those damaging letters — and the lack of a clear message that evictions are halted — will continue to harm our communities and undermine public health.
We believe the bill that emerged from the House on Thursday successfully builds on an earlier measure filed by Representatives Honan and Connolly, incorporates important elements from a Senate bill addressing the same topic, and resolves issues with earlier language that would have allowed large categories of eviction activity to continue. While a few additional changes are needed, we believe House Bill 4615 should serve as the basis for swift action by the legislature.
Additional measures will be needed in coming weeks and months to assist renters and homeowners who are unable to make housing payments during the crisis, and we look forward to working with the state Legislature on those issues. But the urgent need of the moment is swift passage of a strong moratorium that prevents foreclosures and halts all phases of the eviction process.
Isaac Simon Hodes
Lynn
