Letters to the editor for July 16

The legacy of COVID-19

Will homelessness and evictions be the legacies of COVID-19? If Congress does not act soon, they will be.

The virus exposed America’s housing situation for what it is — a full-blown crisis. Since 1960, renters’ median earnings have gone up 5 percent while rents have risen by 61 percent. Even with unemployment insurance, millions of workers are still falling behind in paying their rent, putting low-income renters under the threat of eventually losing their residences.

Yes, Congress has been provided some rental assistance and many states have enacted a pause on evictions, but it is not enough. In many places, eviction holds are set expire in August just as unemployment benefits dry up. Some in Congress want to take a “wait and see” attitude, but patience is a luxury only a privileged few can afford.

I appreciate the legislative efforts of U.S. Rep. Denny Heck and encourage our other members of Congress to push for quick passage of a COVID-19 bill that includes an additional $100 billion for emergency rental assistance, and a national moratorium on evictions. Past due rents are accumulating, and people who have lost income due to COVID-19 are not out of the woods yet.

If we act now to help our fellow Americans keep their existing housing options, compassionate action will keep a bad situation from getting worse. This could be the true legacy of COVID-19.

Carol Kraege, Olympia

Rollins showed bold leadership in rent strike

The May 24 editorial taking on Olympia City Council member Renata Rollins for joining the rent strike was a bit too predictable.

Rollins’ action was part of a movement to draw attention to the need to cancel rent. Non-violent direct action gives a shock to the system to change the landscape of what’s considered politically possible.

Everyone wants to talk big about the values of a “sustainable economy,” a “just COVID recovery,” and so forth. But when someone actually takes a stand — disrupts the status quo to actually help bring about the kind of change we need — all of a sudden people start to get really uncomfortable.

COVID-19 is only one of the major disasters we are facing, and this is just the beginning. Climate breakdown is another. Our political systems are not equipped to deal with these challenges. Not in a way that’s fair and just.

We’ve been heading for the iceberg for way too long. Our ship is sunk, and everyone knows it.

So what should we do about it? Call our senators and donate to non-profits? Really? The days of armchair solutions are over.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. We need bold leadership to disrupt the status quo if we want to turn this ship around.

Jason Bates, Olympia