UC Berkeley, the city of Berkeley, and the entire country (not to mention the world) are going through both an economic meltdown and a public health crisis due ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many tenants - including UC Berkeley students - are unable to pay their rent as a result of the economic meltdown and shelter-in-place order. Furthermore, so many students live paycheck-to-paycheck that they could never afford the added expense of paying backrent. Many of these students also do not have a "non-Berkeley home" they can return to. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has responded by banning evictions (and defaults) in properties secured by Federal Housing Administration-insured (Fannie and Freddie) Single Family mortgages. On March 17, the Berkeley City Council passed an initial moratorium on evictions and suspended rent payments for tenants who been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic; the city council is expected to pass additional emergency legislation to strengthen the law to protect Berkeley residents and keep them in their homes. As a state agency, the university is generally exempt from regulations issued by a local government. As a result, the only way to protect students in university housing from evictions and unconscionable rent collections is for the university to voluntarily enact such a policy. Letting homeless and housing-insecure students live for free in otherwise empty university housing would only cost the university little to nothing. Additionally, the fact that the University is allowing students to move-out and receive a pro-rata refund means it is already budgeting for little to no revenue from housing for the remainder of the year. It is therefore clearly within the Univeristy's means to allow students already living in the dorms to not owe rent. Many students cannot simply move-out of the dorms and "go back home." For instance, they may not have another home to return to, may have a Bay Area job they need to support themselves and/or their family and which has not been halted by the pandemic, or their family home may be unsafe (e.g. if they've been rejected by their family for not being cis-hetero or if their family home is physically dangerous). This is literally a matter of life and death. If students are forced out onto the streets - either through a formal eviction or because they decide to move out early in order to avoid back rent they cannot repay, they could catch coronavirus and die, as well as infect other community members.

In a matter of days, the State of Montana - along with the rest of the world, of course - has been hit hard with the restrictions placed on businesses in the wake of COVID-19. As we all know, businesses across the state have been forced to close outright or drastically cut provided services, leaving 13.7% of Montana workers (mt.gov, 2013) at immediate risk of unemployment. What limited financial resources these workers may have MUST be conserved for absolute essentials in this time of uncertainty. Small businesses have also been left vulnerable to permanent closure, and their financial resources must also be conserved to remain operational. My motivation to start this petition is not selfless. I (service industry), along with nearly all of my colleagues, was laid off today (3/18/20). Whether or not this petition moves forward, I have already planned to reallocate all of my own remaining resources exclusively toward food and the most basic necessities while COVID-19 restrictions remain in tact. Paying $750 for rent when that may be all I have for said essentials -- indefinitely -- seems futile at best. Our employers were heartbroken to be forced into laying us off. They are devastated and worried for us, and we are devastated and worried for them and for the future of our company. Our story is clearly NOT unique; likely thousands of service industry workers in Bozeman alone will be or have already been laid off, and this is just the beginning. We need rent and mortgage relief NOW.

People losing jobs cannot work

For many years, Bassett Park has served as a seasonal homeless shelter, contained within the gymnasium. To that end, our community has cohabitated with the homeless population on park grounds. The elderly, children and adults alike have enjoyed the activities at the park in conjunction with the operation of a homeless shelter. We are NOT calling for a complete removal of the homeless shelter. We understand that given the current pandemic, these are unprecedented times and call for drastic measures. Nonetheless, we demand that all measures taken to transform Bassett Park from a center of recreation to a complete homeless shelter, consider the cost to the community. We demand that our representatives ensure that ALL communities, despite their median incomes, take their fair share of the homeless population and work to provide services to this vulnerable community. We will not allow the complete disintegration of our neighborhood, nor will we stand for the complete erasure of our presence from our community recreation center.

"During the COVID-19 crisis, we all have a responsibility towards our communities to keep ourselves healthy and avoid situations that can spread the virus. As of March 17th, the state of Florida will close all bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and other small businesses in order to help us uphold that responsibility. While this is a step in the right direction regarding health, the effects of these sweeping business closures affect the livelihood of thousands of Florida residents that rely on front-of-the house restaurant, club/bar work or tips to make ends meet. Without a plan in place to supplement the income of these workers, and with no guarantee that unemployment benefits will provide the relief people need in a city with one of the highest costs of living in the country, we demand a moratorium on rent collection. Hard-working people are going to suffer at the expense of the greater good. While we don't deny the importance of instituting these closures, we would be ashamed and heartbroken to watch our government let people who rely on health and wellness care work, restaurant work, work in the entertainment industry (clubs/bars), and other small businesses face evictions, blows to their credit, or be backed into a corner financially through no fault of their own. As a spa business owner and full-time Licensed Massage Therapist, this is my sole source of income. So many other massage practitioners and business owners in the industry, are affected. Simply providing people with an unemployment payment of temporary paid leave at minimum wage would not be enough to cover their typical expenses. We need Broward County and Florida as a whole to put a moratorium on rent NOW in order to preserve the livelihood of so many hard working business owners, healthcare practitioners, and other affected industries during this time of crisis".

People are already living paycheck to paycheck, already struggling to get by in a housing crisis in Walla Walla and across the State. With businesses closing and workers losing their expected income, thousands of Walla Wallans and millions of Washingtonians will be unable to make this month's housing payment. We need the City of Walla Walla and Governor Jay Inslee to take FAST ACTION to STOP EVICTIONS during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This company has enough resources to implement a system of minimal interaction at all stores, keeping its customers and employees safe. With the number of employees at each store, keeping up with the demand for a curbside pickup will be manageable via the Instacart system. If not, taking orders by phone and then brought out to the customer should be implemented. This keeps employees working, and keeps food in the homes of the communities we serve.

Protecting yourself from a pandemic shouldn’t depend on where you live or the kind of job you have. We have the resources to help everybody through this crisis. All leaders need to step up and do what they can NOW. Don’t wait for others to lead. Do what YOU can do NOW.

We demand an immediate moratorium on collecting rent, mortgage and utility/wifi bills for the month of April and forgiveness of interest, late fees, or the owing of that month's rent in the future should it need to be implemented. This moratorium and forgiveness should continue as long as the critical and necessary social distancing continues during the Covid-19 crisis. As many of you know, most Oregon business came to a rolling halt weeks before the Federal, state and county governments took action. As a result many local businesses, workers and Oregonians are already on the edge of default due to the free-fall of our economy. Oregons, particularly small businesses and those who work in food service, retail, entertainment, gig, freelance, cottage industries and recreational sectors are hard hit and will loose both their enterprises and homes if decisive action is not taken now. Many Oregonians will go into default if the banks, loan collectors and landlords are not immediately prevented from raking in collections, debts and rents during this vulnerable time. At the start of April, you or someone you love may be unable to pay for rent. Within two weeks someone you know will default on their home loan. Small business that are central to your community will begin accruing a debilitating amount of debt forcing them to close their doors forever. A friend or family member that you care about could face eviction or the closure of vital utilities. Covid-19 does more than threaten the lives of the elderly and weak. It will terraform our communities and destroy the livelihood of our young, old, poor and working class alike. Sign the petition today. Demand an immediate moratorium on the collection of all mortgages/loans, bills, rents and utilities for both individuals and small businesses. The damaging effects of the Covid-19 crisis can be staved off, if not prevented, but only if we come together now.

Most people live by their budget and soaring prices for rent and mortgages make housing the biggest cost. This is unsustainable in this crisis when all we have is our retirement checks some have their children helping them before this even happen. and so many people live from paycheck to paycheck. As a group, the working-class of Florida have been financially crippled by the critical and necessary measures put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus. Though the federal or state government may eventually provide relief, the immediate conservation of our limited financial resources are necessary for our own and our family's health and well being. Renters, lessors, banks and other relevant institutions can, as a class seek their own relief; the state and the federal government are much more responsive and historically more likely to act on their behalf. We must protect our limited cash flow, ensure people can keep their homes, and protect credit ratings immediately.

This is important because we, as a grocery store clerks warehouse workers, and anything to do with keeping Mothers Market open, stocked, clean, calm, and ready for our customers every single day from 7 AM to 10 PM during working hours, as well as everyone who works overnight and overtime because of this COVID 19 pandemic deserve hazard pay. This is an unprecedented time and we are exposing ourselves and our families to this deadly virus. It is important to keep ourselves , our families, and our communities safe, healthy, calm and well-nourished during this pandemic.

The Coronavirus pandemic is a health crisis like we have never seen before, and it is colliding with the economic crisis of this generation - student loan debt. Lost wages and medical costs will impact families across the country for weeks, months, and years to come. Adding the persistent burden of student debt is a recipe for an economic disaster for millions of everyday people. Labor shocks like those the pandemic are likely to cause will undoubtedly increase federal student loan defaults. Borrowers in default on federal student loans face having their tax refunds seized and wages garnished at a time when they can least afford it. We also call on lawmakers to immediately stop these actions that hit distressed borrowers the most. Canceling student debt in response to the Coronavirus crisis will help the 45 million people with student loans and stimulate the economy when it is needed most. It will allow borrowers to purchase the necessities their families depend on: food on their table, a roof over their head, and critical healthcare. In the long term, a student debt cancellation stimulus would help prevent or reduce the impacts of an upcoming recession. Student debt cancellation can boost GDP by up to $108 billion a year and would add up to 1.5 million jobs per year.