Beginning on April 1st, 2020, many Americans will be unable to pay their rent, mortgage, loans, or utility bills in the context of the pandemic and global recession. The president has so far spent $2.5 trillion in bailing out the stock market and large corporations, and nothing to bail out the working class.
Without a massive stimulus package, freeze on rent, utilities, and mortgage collection, millions of people will lose their jobs and homes. Unemployment could reach 30% according to some projections. We have to start organizing right now, turn our collective desperation to collective power, and force our government to enact a bailout for regular people, not Wall Street.
Our DemandsRent Strike 2020 started when a simple petition to freeze rent, utilities and mortgage payments has collected over 2 million signatures within 48 hours. The creators of the petition (Joshua Collins, and Rose Caucus) realized that this is a revolutionary moment and immediately passed it off to organizers who could build this into a movement that will be able to deliver a win for regular people.
We have put together a comprehensive set of immediate demands that we are calling the People’s Bailout. Our goal is to win these demands for the working class by building a mass movement. We hope to partner with local tenants unions, labor unions, immigrant groups, prison reform and abolition groups, and left and socialist elected officials who share our movement strategy and vision. Following are our initial set of of demands:
Freeze all rent, mortgage, utility payments or we will carry out a rent strike!
Freeze all student, medical, car and consumer debt and interest during the ongoing pandemic and recession. Cancel student debt!
Tax big business and the rich, not regular people, to pay for the crisis.
House all unsheltered people to protect their health and safety, and public health at-large.
Suspend all Farm Service Agency payments to ensure that we have an uninterrupted food supply.
Provide free mass testing and treatment! Authorize the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services to cover all out of pocket expenses so people can get tested and treated without worrying about going bankrupt.
Medicare for All! Immediately nationalize pharma, healthcare, medical instruments and all providers for an emergency response like Spain did to swiftly respond to the health crisis.
Give democratic powers to Committees of workers and scientists over the response to the crisis in essential industries – including healthcare, transportation, logistics, grocery.
Nationalize any industry threatening layoffs that hasn't been bailed out under democratic workers' control.
End the mass incarceration system & immediately release all immigrants from detention centers to stop the spread of COVID-19 between prisoners and guards.
Show your support for this campaign by endorsing it and sharing why!
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Sesha Achyuta endorsed
“Any one from Petaluma California for Commercial and Residential yea any. Please let me know how to organize.”
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Kendra Dunlap endorsed
“We all need to stand together and fight for what is right. And this campaign knows what's right for everyone. And they are standing up for the right to be heArd And demand change.”
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Courtney Carper endorsed
“This pandemic is very stressfully everyone needs a break to get back on there feet.”
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Nicole SMITH endorsed
“I endorse rent stroke 2020 because people like my elderly mother and myself a single mom struggling to make ends meet during this stressful depressing times as many others are and believe those who are struggling hard should have rents waived or cut in half”
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John P. Harris endorsed
“I endorse the campaign because working people need an economic break that substantially benefits them as they recover from the recent downturn in the eco economy. I'm tired of big banks, Wall Street, and the 1% always getting the breaks.”
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YLee endorsed
“I want to bankrupt my landlord because he has more than me. I don't care that he worked 30 years for the property I live in. I'm a selfish childish bitch who thinks everything should be given to me like a 4 year old.”
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Nichole c mahnke endorsed
“The economy has been in the toilet ! Help others during this time!!”
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Jasmine Lyons endorsed
“Housing is a right especially during a time where most Americans are barely getting by before and during this pandemic. We can not continue to let housing be commodified.”
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Sandra Steele endorsed
“I am on SSI disability and it's very hard to make ends meet I feel as though even if no more stimulus money is made available help with rent and utilities to suspend them is going to be a big help on all of us most expensive Lee the low-income the elderly that cannot get out and do anything to help themselves most expect lie with a job economy people losing their jobs is a really big stress on a lot of people I do endorse this”
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Jannette Matos endorsed
“It's the right thing to do. Too many people are struggling and so far there's no real relief from our government. This is the time to unite and demand ACTION!”
Campaign created!
Show your support for this campaign by endorsing it and sharing why!
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Joshua Angelus endorsed
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Sesha Achyuta endorsed
“Any one from Petaluma California for Commercial and Residential yea any. Please let me know how to organize.”
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rakib endorsed
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Kendra Dunlap endorsed
“We all need to stand together and fight for what is right. And this campaign knows what's right for everyone. And they are standing up for the right to be heArd And demand change.”
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Courtney Carper endorsed
“This pandemic is very stressfully everyone needs a break to get back on there feet.”
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Nicole SMITH endorsed
“I endorse rent stroke 2020 because people like my elderly mother and myself a single mom struggling to make ends meet during this stressful depressing times as many others are and believe those who are struggling hard should have rents waived or cut in half”
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John P. Harris endorsed
“I endorse the campaign because working people need an economic break that substantially benefits them as they recover from the recent downturn in the eco economy. I'm tired of big banks, Wall Street, and the 1% always getting the breaks.”
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Hannah Rooth endorsed
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Mandi Bom endorsed
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Rachel Dixon endorsed
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Josiah James Miller endorsed
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YLee endorsed
“I want to bankrupt my landlord because he has more than me. I don't care that he worked 30 years for the property I live in. I'm a selfish childish bitch who thinks everything should be given to me like a 4 year old.”
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Joan Nagle endorsed
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Nichole c mahnke endorsed
“The economy has been in the toilet ! Help others during this time!!”
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Jasmine Lyons endorsed
“Housing is a right especially during a time where most Americans are barely getting by before and during this pandemic. We can not continue to let housing be commodified.”
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Sandra Steele endorsed
“I am on SSI disability and it's very hard to make ends meet I feel as though even if no more stimulus money is made available help with rent and utilities to suspend them is going to be a big help on all of us most expensive Lee the low-income the elderly that cannot get out and do anything to help themselves most expect lie with a job economy people losing their jobs is a really big stress on a lot of people I do endorse this”
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Jannette Matos endorsed
“It's the right thing to do. Too many people are struggling and so far there's no real relief from our government. This is the time to unite and demand ACTION!”
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Linda J Plunkett endorsed
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Cesar Barrios endorsed
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Malorie Ellis endorsed
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Jimmy Huynh endorsed
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Jake endorsed
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Anjulie Harrison endorsed
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Chris Negron endorsed
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Nivia Cruz endorsed
“Because if there is no employment there is no money to survive especially the low income people! Please this will help us all in such a desperate situation in which we're all going through! ThAnkz”
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Arturo Gonzalez Jr endorsed
“My wife and me are waiting to receive unemployment benefits but we've been waiting for one month and we haven't got any response and it is may 4 and of course we ain't pay rent and we don't have any idea when we are going to be able to pay they specials that we can talk with the landlord and fix an agreement how to pay in small amounts plus full amount on current rent but we are living paycheck to paycheck and with the pandemic we aren't going to be able to pay because we don't have any source of income `cus the hotel that i work close doors more than 1 month ago and I don't see when they are going to open”
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Shawna Marie White endorsed
“I have 3 daughters, and can barely afford to feed them at the moment, with the stress of how to figure out how to pay bills”
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Valerie Ulibarri Hudgens endorsed
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Tommie endorsed
“We can't stay home unless they help out with rent. We want do what's right by staying home but without work how can we keep a roof over our heads. We had to give our jobs up because the government said ,it will help to save lives but what about our homes,jobs etc. We stood home but now we need saving!! So yes please help the American people with this rent strike we need desperately. We did our part by staying home,now our government has to do their part by aiding those who have sacrifice their way of making a living. We listened to stay home,now listen to us about rent strike. We need it!!!”
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David Clannon endorsed
“Don't be idiots! If we all just stop paying everything, everything falls apart. You will have no power, no water, no sewer and your building will close. You will be on the street! Our basic expenses should be subsidized until we can return to work, otherwise it all falls apart.”
