Rep. Ilhan Omar: We Need to Cancel the Rent, Not Just Postpone Evictions

Minnesota Congressmember Ilhan Omar was among the progressive Democrats who camped outside the U.S. Capitol to pressure the Biden administration into passing a new eviction moratorium after the previous moratorium lapsed July 31. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new two-month moratorium earlier in the week that covers areas of the country where there is “substantial” or “high” spread of the coronavirus. “As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to protect those that sent us to legislate on their behalf,” says Omar, adding that she has personal familiarity with housing precarity. “I certainly have experienced severe aspects of that as someone who not only slept on the side of roads, on beaches … but also spent a lot of time in a refugee camp.”

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[vivalapalestine]

As a home owner and someone who rents to people
I understand that for some people they should be protected
But many people got massive governmental financial support as many were working at the same time ! There are a lot of people who absolutely abuse these laws
As home owners who rent we’ve been getting pushed around by people who refuse to pay us

[BoydGilbreath]

Cancel the rent, and pay the landlords what they are due. Perhaps let the rich and big business pay for that.

[Eljefe]

Didn’t we just bail these banks out a decade ago?

[TheDru]

Not shocking that Congress didn't do anything about the expiring moratorium. It is time to send them a message to put people over profits.

[deliajackson]

If rents will be cancel; then pay back the people who have been paying their rent and mortgages with sacrifice. Pay renters from the past also.

[wombatful]

In California, some cities are completely un-accessible to the working class because of rents that are out of range in good economical times. Parts of California can charge twenty-eight hundred dollars a month FOR A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT. We have people living in tent cities that WORK FULLTIME JOBS AND JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE ANYMORE. Property values are going to have to take a dive in this state, these landlords are going to have to negotiate for fractions of this back rent, and I think it might take another type of disaster for them to realize it.

[readbetweenthelines]

I don’t want to pay for food either. Give me everything it’s my entitlement!🥴

[rlinton]

Landlords have financial obligations they have to meet too. So whatever is done by government, must take this into consideration.

[JG-ggwk]

This is absurd. What's next, pay everyone's untilites, why not free groceries, hell even a free car so they can pick up them free groceries. When did we become nation of handouts. This is what's fueling the MAGA scene.

[nomanor]

If rent is cancelled, how will landlords pay their mortgages??

[marcelapaz]

I would like to hear progressive representatives talk about public affordable housing legislation. It sounds like an umpty measure to keep postponing the payment of rent, affecting small landlords, but not calling on the responsibility of the government and its regulatory control of the big real state and providing affordable housing for poor and working people.

[luperamos]

If you want to cancel rent, then why not make all rental housing public? Or create lots of it

[Mageroeth]

Everyone should be made whole the rentees and renters.

[bapam]

All talk and twitter just like the rest of the about FORCE THE VOTE????

[rickesteves]

There are people out here that are retired and survive off their rental property, sometimes a single home. They're not real estate moguls. How are they to be compensated?

[whygohome]

It SURE doesn't take that long to get funding to the rich folks and banks!!!

[alberthaust]

She is so generous with property that other people own.

[nr]

funny how america wants us to believe it's paradise but actually is like hell on earth. the soft power does not work anymore

Holy s*, housing problem interview starts with 2 minute commercial of a book... how appropriate, This is how America look like...

[mhtinla]

Cancel Rent --> Cancel Property Rights --> Cancel Human Rights --> Cancel Human