From Sacramento Tenant’s Union:
Cities and municipalities all over the country have taken swift action to help protect tenants and the unhoused in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this afternoon, Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced the city is drafting a declaration of a State of Emergency in response to this worldwide health crisis.
Tenants and the unhoused already suffer from inadequate healthcare even during the best of times. Also, many tenants work hourly wage jobs without benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and remote work capabilities. With this in mind, and given the magnitude of the crisis, the Sacramento Tenants Union demands bold and swift action.
The Sacramento City Council should immediately declare a State of Emergency that includes the following:
- Declare an eviction moratorium until the CDC has publicly stated the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.
- Declare a rent freeze for all tenants.
- Establish a fund to help tenants pay for utilities, including internet service that will be critical as workers are sent home to work remotely.
- Establish clean and safe housing, with room enough for proper social distancing and staffed with medical and sanitation experts, to help secure the safety and health of our unhoused neighbors.
- The distribution of safety supplies to all citizens free of charge.
The City Council is scheduled to meet on Friday, March 13 in order to discuss draft emergency language. Due to the Governor’s guidance concerning large gatherings, the meeting will be closed to the public. You can, however, eComment and demand what is outlined above, and more.
We also strongly encourage our supporters to call their city councilperson and make it clear that the time has come for solidarity over profiteering, and that our health of our communities is not something to be bargained with.
Sacramento Solidarity Network 