We're in an eviction emergency, John.
Right now, millions of families are at risk of being evicted from their homes because the right-wing Supreme Court blocked the eviction moratorium we helped win last month.
I refuse to just stand by and watch our government ignore this crisis — especially now with the rise of COVID cases in this ongoing pandemic. I've been evicted three times in my life. I remember the stress, fear, and anxiety of being unhoused, living in a car with my two babies. I refuse to let more families go through what I experienced.
That's why this fight is personal for me. That's why I was outside the Capitol for five days last month to demand a new eviction moratorium. And that's why today, Senator Elizabeth Warren and I introduced the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 to give the Department of Health and Human Services the permanent authority to implement eviction moratoriums during public health crises.
Here's how this all unfolded, John: Last month, Members of Congress left for August recess without extending the eviction moratorium. But I refused to accept that Congress could leave for vacation while 11 million people faced eviction.
So for the next five days, our progressive allies and I stayed outside of the Capitol to call on the Biden Administration to extend the eviction moratorium. Because of our collective activism, they finally took action.
But on August 26, the right-wing Supreme Court blocked our new moratorium leaving millions of people at imminent risk of losing their homes, stability, and safety.
If they thought this partisan ruling was going to stop us from fighting to keep people housed, they couldn't have been more wrong. I understand firsthand how high the stakes are in this fight and I refuse to rest until action is taken.
I will never forget the nights when I was unhoused where my eyes would water as I fought to stay awake, worried about what would happen to my children if I fell asleep. When I used McDonald's bathrooms to mix baby formula and wash my body because I had no other options. I don't want anybody to have to experience the suffering that I was forced to endure, especially not during a pandemic where the government's main focus should be on keeping people safe and healthy.
With the Delta variant rapidly spreading, Congress must act to offer protection to renters in the interest of public safety. People-power is the reason why we were able to win an eviction moratorium from the Biden Administration. Now, we need a strong showing of grassroots support to call on Congress to pass the Keeping Renters Safe Act.
Thank you,
Cori Bush
