PANDEMIC-INDUCED EVICTIONS HURT YOUNG PEOPLE THE MOST

It seems that the year 2020 has more devastating surprises up its sleeve: millions of Americans anticipate eviction this month. 

About 4 million people filed for unemployment in California alone due to the pandemic, and the government issued financial aid with a one-time stimulus check of $1,200 to ease the financial burden. Despite these efforts, it wasn’t enough to keep Americans afloat: the repercussions of the economy flop are being felt now with these evictions, and we have young professionals and/or Black and Brown people getting the shorter end of the stick.

It all seems so unfair, doesn’t it? Many organizers in different cities of the U.S. have taken it upon themselves to create a call for action so that cities can have a rent freeze and mortgage freeze for those affected.

We all know that a stimulus check of $1,200 doesn’t cover all the costs of living, especially in expensive states like California and New York where rent is an average of $2,500 and $3,000, respectively.

Millennial households, who make up make up most of the nation’s renters, live in poverty more than any other generation, according to Pew Research Center. Many millennials are barely starting out their professional career as well as their families with little to fall back on: the average millennial net worth is $10,400, according to The College Investor.

It is easy to blame people for their problems, but when it comes to the consequences of this pandemic, no one was really prepared to face all these hardships. It might feel like there isn’t much we can do, but the best thing we can do is practice empathy for one another.