Housing should be a right
Regarding “Landlords are getting their rent relief. So why are tenants getting kicked out? ” (Oct. 15): The pandemic has resulted in an economic bind for both tenants and landlords. When tenants can't pay rents, landlords can’t pay mortgages.
The solution must be broad-based, radical and take into account the interests of renters and owners.
That solution must be based upon the view of housing for all as a human right. As a right, the government, whether local, state or federal must own and operate its own housing stock and serve as a landlord of last resort to those facing eviction and homelessness. Rent should be waived or based solely on ability to pay.
Recently, in reaction to steep rises in housing costs, a majority of Berliners voted in favor of a non-binding referendum that, if enacted, would allow the city government to expropriate 200,000 homes. .
These units will be made available as affordable housing, in addition to the 25 percent of Berlin’s rental apartments the government already owns. Berlin's actions are admirable but do not go far enough.
In order to avoid the awful spectre of people being thrown out on the street, our governments must take appropriate and humane action. Private landlords are not in the business of doing this and only government can.
Shaun Smith, Houston
Melanie Bryant’s personal and family struggles that led to her inability to pay her rent are sad. Many people will endure tough times at some point in their lives, and as Americans we are constantly deciding whether we will help our neighbors with public policies that are compassionate and charitable or whether we will turn a blind eye to their suffering.
The Emergency Rental Assistance program made federal funding available to pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initial program was signed into law by Donald Trump in December 2020 and provided up to $25 billion under the Consolidated Appropriations Act; the second program was enacted as part of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan and provides up to $21.55 billion.
The funds are paid directly to states, U.S. territories and local governments to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs.
Thus, the comments attributed to Bryant’s landlord, Sue Seely, are curious.
Seely, who received direct government assistance in the form of Bryant’s monthly rents paid through the Texas Rent Relief program, says she is “livid,” and that she “spent so much money on court costs and (attorney) fees” trying to evict Bryant four times, and that the “liberal democratic (government) is a joke when it comes to landlords.” What “liberal democratic” government is she referring to?
Is it the government that ensured landlords like Seely got paid and allowed them to evict distressed tenants as soon as they stopped getting their government checks?