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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) took to Twitter to call for rent to be cancelled until the coronavirus crisis is ended.
Omar joins progressive advocacy organizations, who have cited the economic downturn stemming from the coronavirus as a reason to cancel rent for those struggling.
“We need to cancel rent until this crisis is over,” Omar tweeted Wednesday.
We need to cancel rent until this crisis is over.
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) April 8, 2020
People are already striking because they cannot afford rent.
We need immediate relief.
I am introducing a bill this week to #bailout renters and create a relief fund for homeowners/landlords to stop foreclosures.#RentStrike #CancelRent
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 6, 2020
The calls for rent payments to be canceled comes as the coronavirus pandemic sends the economy into a downward spiral, with unemployment claims skyrocketing to 17 million in the past three weeks.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), an ally of Omar, prompted her supporters to take action against landlords via organizing rent strikes.
Here’s AOC encouraging her followers to engage in “organized rent strikes” because capitalism is to blame for people making money off of “just owning property.” pic.twitter.com/GWGd004DTa
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) April 2, 2020
Leftist organizations, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Sunrise Movement, have also joined in calling for the measure of canceling rent to be taken:
Rent is due today.
Our political leaders have a choice: #CancelRent to help working families survive, or contribute to even more economic hardship & jeopardize public health.
Tell your Reps we need to #CancelRent and issue a #PeoplesBailout now!https://t.co/XkqyfAGghy pic.twitter.com/Pot4FxxlfL
— Sunrise Movement ? (@sunrisemvmt) April 1, 2020
We need to #CancelRent. Housing is a human right. https://t.co/FKWFhubvnB
— DSA ? (@DemSocialists) April 7, 2020
As the calls to take some action intensifies by progressive lawmakers, Yahoo Finance reported Wednesday that approximately a third of all Americans in April missed their rent payment:
“As the novel coronavirus pandemic causes mass layoffs and financial disruption, 31% of U.S. renters did not pay April rent on time, up from 19% a month earlier and 18% in April 2019, according to a new report by the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) based on 13.4 million rentals. Among U.S. renters, only 69% paid April rent on time.”
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