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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Elizabeth Treasure endorsed
“People shouldn't have to be in fear of losing their homes due to greedy/ shady landlords.”
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Joyce K Martinez endorsed
“It's the right thing to do.”
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Charity Woodard endorsed
“I believe that during this troubling time it is awful to also have to worry about am i going to lose ny home thats why i support thus”
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Claudia Muñiz endorsed
“I believe is not fair that people have to pay rent in such an uncertain moment like this.”
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Tracy Raley endorsed
“I endorse the rent strike because we as the people can not afford to live, eat , have shelter let alone pay for our medicine even with insurance, unemployment is not enough , we are facing a recession !!!!!”
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Ruth Nevins endorsed
“I’m retired, living with son...he earns minimum wage and is only getting about 30 hours each week...not even enough to cover utilities and food! We are getting by, barely, but what happens next? I’m 71 and if I catch this Covid 19, he’s on the street!”
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Weston Rhodes endorsed
“Fuck corporate greed; people need housing, and monsters like Jeff Bezos, and the owners of Property Management firms are making billions off of a crisis. I am thankful that I am housed, but under strict and unfair rules set by these people. Again, FUCK the billionaires; it's time the people took some of that mone back.”
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Amy Harlib endorsed
“BIG GREEDY LANDLORDS MUST NOT GET BAILED OUT WHEN THE 99% ARE SUFFERING.”
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Xavier Flores endorsed
“Big Company’s Are Refusing to Pay Rent During The Crisis But We Have Too!?”
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Denita G endorsed
“I endorse rent Strike 2020 because, this is a worldwide Pandemic, that is out of our control, we should look more at necessities than the financial portion of it, especially when it comes to rent or mortgaging to keep a roof over your head, during a time like this. Instead of people becoming behind and afraid that after and hopefully the pandemic is over, that they do not lose their place, there should not be any rent expected at all during this pandemic. A lot of people are out of work, and they are struggling to keep food in their mouths and other basic necessities , while being in quarantine and trying to stay safe, the last thing that should be stressed over is rent! In the result of people losing their job, why are we still even considering a possible eviction process after this pandemic, it will take time for people to find another job let alone if they already have one in place trying to accumulate money for backed up debt and costs, it doesn’t make any sense. We should not have to worry about picking up where we left off but more so starting over from where it ends. It only makes since, and whatever excuse there is on why, it is not excusable or justifiable enough when it comes to humanity, care, and sanity!”
Campaign created!
Show your support for this campaign by endorsing it and sharing why!
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LindaLeu Hicks endorsed
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Jerrylynn Dupont endorsed
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Elizabeth Treasure endorsed
“People shouldn't have to be in fear of losing their homes due to greedy/ shady landlords.”
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Brittni Andrews endorsed
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Campbell Tasker endorsed
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Joyce K Martinez endorsed
“It's the right thing to do.”
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Charity Woodard endorsed
“I believe that during this troubling time it is awful to also have to worry about am i going to lose ny home thats why i support thus”
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Claudia Muñiz endorsed
“I believe is not fair that people have to pay rent in such an uncertain moment like this.”
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Reggie Bigg Shac Sims endorsed
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Shannon allen endorsed
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Teresa Robinson endorsed
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Kayla DeJohn endorsed
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Pamela S Gregg endorsed
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Tracy Raley endorsed
“I endorse the rent strike because we as the people can not afford to live, eat , have shelter let alone pay for our medicine even with insurance, unemployment is not enough , we are facing a recession !!!!!”
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Jennifer Magee endorsed
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Ruth Nevins endorsed
“I’m retired, living with son...he earns minimum wage and is only getting about 30 hours each week...not even enough to cover utilities and food! We are getting by, barely, but what happens next? I’m 71 and if I catch this Covid 19, he’s on the street!”
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madeline moss endorsed
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Ewanie Brock endorsed
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Weston Rhodes endorsed
“Fuck corporate greed; people need housing, and monsters like Jeff Bezos, and the owners of Property Management firms are making billions off of a crisis. I am thankful that I am housed, but under strict and unfair rules set by these people. Again, FUCK the billionaires; it's time the people took some of that mone back.”
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Amy Harlib endorsed
“BIG GREEDY LANDLORDS MUST NOT GET BAILED OUT WHEN THE 99% ARE SUFFERING.”
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Xavier Flores endorsed
“Big Company’s Are Refusing to Pay Rent During The Crisis But We Have Too!?”
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Julio Carrasquillo endorsed
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raymond booker endorsed
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Christopher Eddleton endorsed
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Lincoln Parks endorsed
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Denita G endorsed
“I endorse rent Strike 2020 because, this is a worldwide Pandemic, that is out of our control, we should look more at necessities than the financial portion of it, especially when it comes to rent or mortgaging to keep a roof over your head, during a time like this. Instead of people becoming behind and afraid that after and hopefully the pandemic is over, that they do not lose their place, there should not be any rent expected at all during this pandemic. A lot of people are out of work, and they are struggling to keep food in their mouths and other basic necessities , while being in quarantine and trying to stay safe, the last thing that should be stressed over is rent! In the result of people losing their job, why are we still even considering a possible eviction process after this pandemic, it will take time for people to find another job let alone if they already have one in place trying to accumulate money for backed up debt and costs, it doesn’t make any sense. We should not have to worry about picking up where we left off but more so starting over from where it ends. It only makes since, and whatever excuse there is on why, it is not excusable or justifiable enough when it comes to humanity, care, and sanity!”
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Lucie King endorsed
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Trina M Payne endorsed
“I just got back to working in a restaurant. My husband keeps getting denied unemployment. We can barely keep gas and kerosene so I can go to work and we can be warm. How am I supposed to pay rent. I don't even make that much.”
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Dan Basso endorsed
“If we cant make money neither should property owners..”
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William Cagle endorsed
