Today tenants, homeowners, organizers, houseless families, Grammy-nominated musician Ana Tijoux, and City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, who authored the strongest eviction moratorium in California, will gather at 2pm ET for a national digital rally. They are calling for an immediate cancellation of rent, mortgages, and utility payments and a guarantee of homes for all under the banner of the Beyond Recovery campaign.

“Millions of people found out last week that they were laid-off, or had their hours cut. Yet the Trump administration wants to continue as if it’s business as usual. It’s not,” said Sunni Hutton, tenant organizer and MC of the Rally. “We need immediate relief for the millions of workers across the country who won’t be able to pay rent, mortgages, or utilities on April 1st and the millions of more workers who won’t be able to pay them on May 1st. We need legislators to step up and cancel rent.”

The band-aids offered from the recent stimulus package won’t cover one month’s rent for many people, much less the lost wages, health insurance, and utility payments, and groceries that millions will need. The need for legislators to take a strong stand in this moment is more critical than it has ever been.

“Keeping people safe at home is the most powerful tool we have to stop the spread of infection. The Oakland eviction moratorium, is a first step to keeping people safely at home,” said Oakland City Councilmember Fortunato Bas. “Now is the time for us to unite across our differences and make policy choices that help everyday people -- not the wealthiest 1%. Renters, homeowners, mom and pop landlords and small businesses all need relief to make it through this crisis. We must set ourselves and our economy up for a more equitable future. To achieve this, we need immediate debt relief - cancel rent, cancel mortgage payments.”

Digital Day of Action & ‘Rally’ calling for an immediate rent, mortgage, and utility payment cancellation by housing rights groups around the country

Wednesday, April 1 at 2 PM ET / 1PM CT / 12PM MT / 11AM PT

Tenants, homeowners, houseless families impacted by the economic crisis; Oakland, CA Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, musical guest Ana Tijoux and housing and immigrant rights organizers.

Speakers:

Anette, a tenant from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota who lost her job due to the crisis and is organizing with more than 800 tenants in her building.

Bonnie Inserra - homeowner based in Springfield, MA who may not be able to make mortgage payments due to her and her husband losing their jobs and both are currently quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19 at her husband’s former workplace

Oakland City Councilmember, Nikki Fortunato Bas

Families experiencing houselessness who are reclaiming homes for their health and safety in Los Angeles

Jordan Garcia, an immigrant rights organizer from Colorado - speaking to the need to free people from detention and incarceration

In the midst of coronavirus millions of people are unemployed and many will not make rent and mortgage payments on April 1. Renters, homeowners, and houseless families are calling on lawmakers across the country to #cancelrent #cancelmortgages and guarantee #homesforall