In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Unión de Inquilinos de New Brunswick / New Brunswick Tenants Union and Central Jersey Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are urging all partner organizations to sign on to this letter to Governor Murphy, NJ Legislature, and all counties in New Jersey, demanding they place an immediate moratorium on all evictions, foreclosures and utility shut-offs, and to allocate additional resources to shelter those who are houseless and to rental assistance programs. In times of crisis, it is not the wealthy capitalists who will suffer the brunt of tightened purses and austerity, but rather the working class.  

Add your organization below as a signatory to the letter

While it is crucial that we put in place social distancing and quarantine measures in response to this pandemic, we must also work to protect workers and tenants from the economic impact of lost wages and other financial hardships. An immediate freeze on evictions and utility shut-offs will allow workers and tenants to take the proper precautions to prevent the spread of the disease, without being forced out of their homes and further distressing our already over-capacity homeless shelter system. In addition to this short term moratorium, we also call on the state government to provide long term assistance after the crisis is resolved to make sure that tenants and homeowners do not face eviction or foreclosure due to lost wages during the crisis.

This letter outlines a series of housing demands directed at state legislators and the Murphy administration; county government; and local governments in order to alleviate hardships and suffering associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

While New Jersey Chief Justice Rabner has suspended all Landlord/Tenant matters in Superior Court until March 27 and the Judiciary is working on the suspension of evictions (lockouts) of residential tenants during this same time, this is not enough. We appreciate that the NJ Assembly has passed a moratorium on eviction and foreclosure proceedings for two months after the state of emergency ends, but this is not enough. We understand that utility shut-offs have been suspended for the coming weeks, but it is not enough.

The CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings, has recommended that for the next 8 weeks, all in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States are postponed or cancelled. Therefore the following demands must be met and last beyond the 8 weeks (at the least) that many workers' incomes will be non-existant or reduced.

The lack of a social safety net - a living wage; universal healthcare; adequate sick, family, and extended medical leave; universal childcare; the right to safe housing - is bad enough in our day-to-day lives, but is disastrous in the event of a pandemic. Workers might be older and thus at a higher risk of complications, might use public transportation to get to work, might be immunocompromised, or might have family members they will be putting at risk by continuing to go to work. Moreover, workers who rely on hourly wages, part-time jobs, and the gig economy are vulnerable to losing income and therefore facing eviction because of workplace closings, school closings, and missed work.

Landlord/tenant matters may have been suspended in Superior Court temporarily, but forcing people to attend hearings in eviction court in just two weeks will endanger the health of tenants, court staff, and attorneys. Already every week, people are tightly packed together in small waiting areas and courtrooms as the list of eviction cases is read. There is no way to practice “social distancing” when every seat in the courtroom is full. But the alternative to appearing in court in person is untenable: if compelled, tenants have no option but to appear in court because theyrisk losing the very roofs over their heads.

What’s more, a spike of COVID-related evictions would overwhelm emergency housing providers. Overcrowded shelters or emergency housing centers would present a nightmare for public health officials attempting to stop the spread of this pandemic, not to mention threaten the health and well-being of houseless individuals themselves.

For these myriad reasons, we call on state, county, and local governments to suspend any legal actions that may jeopardize tenants’ and working-class homeowners’ housing security. In additionally, we demand that policymakers at all three levels of governance take immediate steps to provide rental assistance to individuals and families, regardless of documentation status, whose economic security has been threatened by the pandemic.

The COVID outbreak will exact an enormous financial, emotional, and physical toll on many families, but the Murphy Administration and New Jersey state government can blunt the impact by putting the following protections in place:

    - Ban all evictions and suspension of eviction court proceedings for private, public, and nonprofit housing for the six months after the end of the state of emergency

    - Moratorium on foreclosures for the six months after the end of the state of emergency

    - Prohibit landlords from collecting late fees on late payments of rent for the six months after the end of the state of emergency

    - Immediately freeze rents for the six months after the end of the state of emergency

    - Require landlords, utilities, and residential mortgage-holders to work out payment plans that allow tenants and homeowners who are suffering economically due to the COVID epidemic up to 24 months to fulfill their payment obligations. Without reasonable repayment plans and timelines, tenants and homeowners will face crushing debt once the crisis is over.

    - Permanent shelter for our community members who are houseless

    - Moratorium on suspension of utility shut-offs water, heat, and gas services for the six months after the end of the state of emergency

    - Call on the New Jersey State Legislature to create robust rental assistance programs that are available to all residents regardless of documentation status


In addition, local and municipal governments across the state can take similar and simultaneous actions to protect working class families:

    - Pass local ordinances implementing rent freezes for the six months after the end of the state of emergency and prohibiting landlords from collecting late fees on late rent payments during this time period

    - Ban utility shut-offs for the six months after the end of the state of emergency

    - Make available rental assistance for families (without regard to documentation status) facing eviction, housing instability, or houselessness

    - Provide immediate financial assistance to emergency housing shelters to ensure that they are equipped not only with basic resources, but also personal protective equipment, adequate healthcare supplies, and beds to support those who are houseless.