Posted on 08/04/2021 5:27:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
Far-left Congressional Democrats Cori Bush (Missouri), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) and Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts) slept in the rough on the Capitol steps over the weekend, surrounded by cases of bottled water, pizza boxes, staffers and fawning press. These Democrats, who are part of a group who call themselves "The Squad," are protesting the end of the federal moratorium on evictions, which expired Saturday night, and warning of soaring homelessness.
They should have been shooed away by Capitol Police for their stunt. Camping on public property is against the law in the District of Columbia. It threatens public safety, creates disorder and health hazards and wrecks neighborhoods. Last week, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance banning encampments in most public areas and ordering police to clear tents and cardboard colonies. Even uber-liberal LA has had enough.
The Squad is playing on this public concern over homeless to demand Congress enact a new eviction moratorium. It would not only suspend rent and mortgage obligations but actually cancel them until the pandemic is over. When is that? In their view, maybe never.
Far-left Democrats have a socialist agenda, which can be seen in their message: Don't pay rent, we'll block evictions; don't pay back college loans, we'll cancel them; don't work, we'll take money from those who do work and give it to you.
Before Omar set up camp Friday, she introduced a bill in the House for guaranteed incomes. Everyone would receive $1200 a month from the government whether you work or not. Utopia, unless you happen to be one of the people toiling to pay for it.
The truth is there's no need for an eviction moratorium. Congress has provided $47 billion in rent relief with generous terms. A New York City household of four earning as much as $95,450 is eligible. There are delays in getting the money out, but in New York, California, Massachusetts and several other states, any renter who applies for aid is protected from eviction while waiting.
That federal rent aid is on top of stimulus checks and unemployment benefits with federal add-ons, and in New York State, newly enhanced state vouchers for renters who need help.
The White House said Monday, "Money is available in every state to help renters who are behind on rent and at risk of eviction." The White House and US Treasury are pressuring states to get the money distributed.
The economic problem is not tenants unable to find work. It's too few workers willing to take the jobs available.
"America's employers can't fill a record 9.2 million jobs because the government has been paying people more in unemployment to stay home," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told the New York Post. "So why aren't they paying their rent?"
Continuing the moratorium would clobber mom-and-pop landlords who need revenue to pay mortgages and repair buildings. They've been hardest hit during the pandemic, according to the University of Pennsylvania Housing Initiative. Prolonging the moratorium threatens their survival, putting housing supply at risk.
Let's be clear. A moratorium won't relieve the crime, filth and disorder caused by hardcore homeless lying on the streets, benches and subway stairs. Most are mentally ill or addicted. They didn't become homeless because of pandemic layoffs. Some have been living rough for a decade.
They need sensible love: removal from the streets to supervised shelters with mental health and addiction services. For their sakes, as well as to restore quality of life and safety in cities such as New York.
As for homelessness caused by the pandemic, Republicans and Democrats alike supported a temporary moratorium on evictions during the lockdown, when millions were forced out of work. That time has passed.
Yet Monday morning, Bush tweeted from her sleeping bag, predicting 11 million would become homeless. A lot of theatrics, but none of it true.
Layoffs are way down from the pandemic peak in April 2020, and it's time to get the capitalist engines humming. Unfortunately, that's not what left-wing Democrats want.
They should be happy about this. Apparently homeless people are immune from the China flu.
“In the future, you will own nothing. And you will be happy.”
Landlords take heed.
ok. If landlords are not allowed to evict, then when a tenant moves out, the landlord should have the right to sue them for moving out.
Of course they do.
They want to take property in any way possible.
The formerly Democratic Party has been totally seized by hard core communists. Their goal is the destruction of capitalism.
That is correct. It is just a way of confiscating private property and forcing the owner into servitude. The owner must pay the mortgage, taxes, upkeep, insurance on the property without compensation.
This is 100% unjust and illegal. It part of the march towards communism that is well underway.
Of course they do.
You’re seeing communism being enacted in the US in real time.
No evictions ever.
universal income through direct government payouts.
direct monitoring of all citizens for their own good.
Goal #46 of the commies: Keep a hysteria going by hyping a viral out break created by Chicoms.
CDC doesn’t make laws, their dictate is unconstitutional.
They do know that if a landlord cannot evict deadbeats then the landlord will go out of business. No other investors are going to want to get into such an obviously losing game. The buildings will fall into disrepair, utilities will be cut off... The places will become unlivable.
Of course being good little socialists/fascists no-doubt their intent is that at some point the government would step in and take over. More property, more power, more control. And gosh, we all know that government run housing projects are such fun and exciting places to live or raise a family... ;-/
These people will wake from their dream in a Chinese labor camp.
The Democrats have a tiger by the tail. Muslim terrorists weren’t enough for them.
Seems to me this is the most extreme version of rent control (rent is fixed at $0).
What happens to properties under rent control?
Wouldn’t surprise me to see a rash of apartment complex fires that level properties. Landlords get the insurance payout and don’t rebuild.
the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
This is just REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.
Why work when you have everything you need paid for?
Another thing... In NYC, a lot of the apartments are rented out to students. It’s cheaper than dormitories and less rules.
During the pandemic, the students kept the apartments but were nowhere to be seen. They went back home or traveled with their free government money. Since they weren’t using the apartment at the time, why pay for it? Zoom made it very convenient to be present for classes from anywhere.
Meanwhile real estate agents lowered rent prices to half the rent and were also offering a few months extra rent free. It got so bad that we decided to keep a few apartments vacant for a few months and wait for when things settled down.
So when the landlords go broke, wonder who will take over ownership of the buildings? Hmmmm, let me think....
I know - how about the same organizations that built and manage the “projects”! Brilliant!
Heck we could even outsource that (to save money, of course) to, oh, I don’t know, um, China maybe?
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