Housing Justice for All
Members of Housing Justice for All rally in Albany. Their request for dramatic action in the face of the Coronavirus crisis dovetails with a long-term push for deeper housing aid and reforms.UPDATED 3/20/20: Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that New York State will waive some mortgage payments, along with other financial services, for the next 90 days starting March 19. The state Department of Financial Services (DFS) will be responsible for executing the governor’s executive order, which requires mortgage servicers to waive mortgage payments based on financial hardship, halt negative reporting to credit bureaus, ban late payment fees or online payment fees, offer a grace period for loan modification and postpone or suspend foreclosures.
Additionally, Cuomo has asked DFS to instruct state-chartered banks to waive ATM fees, late fees, overdraft fees and fees for credit cards for New Yorkers.
“We know what we have to do to contain the spread of this virus – reduce density and person to person contact – and based on new facts we are getting every day, we’re taking further steps to keep more New Yorkers at home while keeping essential services running,” Cuomo said. “At the same time, we know there is going to be an economic impact across the state and we are taking new actions to support the thousands of New Yorkers and small businesses who are suffering. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be disruptive, but we will get through this together.”
Housing advocates have called on the city and state to develop a $10 billion relief package that includes a moratorium on rent, mortgage and utility payments to abate financial strain on New York households amid the growing economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Housing Justice for All, a statewide coalition, also wants the rehousing of every homeless individual using emergency rent assistance and in vacant homes. The risk of viral spread through the homeless shelter system and among the street homeless has been a major concern throughout the public-health emergency.
Growing concerns
Major steps already have been taken to buffer COVID-19’s shocks to the city’s housing market.
Last week, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and 29 building owners and managers announced a 90-day commitment to halt issuing housing removals—unless for “criminal or negligent behavior”— in response to the crisis.
On Monday, New York State courts halted all evictions until further notice.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced it was authorizing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to implement an immediate foreclosure and eviction moratorium for single-family homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages over the next 60 days.
Given the unknown depth and length of the crisis, however, advocates are pushing for stronger action.
“Housing is healthcare. An eviction moratorium is the first step, but right now it’s critical that every New Yorker is safely housed, especially those who are currently without homes or most in danger of losing their homes due to loss of income,” read a statement by Housing Justice for All released Wednesday. “We are calling on Governor Cuomo and state legislative leaders to implement an immediate rent suspension of rent, mortgage, and utility payments, a full moratorium on evictions, and investment in safe, affordable housing for every New Yorker.”
“Working people across New York State are facing lay-offs and struggling to pay rent and buy basic necessities. This problem will not disappear once the threat of COVID-19 has passed, and the eviction moratorium is lifted. Forgiving rent and mortgage debt accumulated during this period will help keep New Yorkers in their homes and stabilize our economy and our state.”
Examples overseas
Housing Justice For All has put out a petition for New Yorkers to sign in order to garner support for the relief package. According to Cea Weaver, the Housing Justice for All Campaign Coordinator, the idea came after both Italy and France announced similar plans.
After 60 million people went under mandatory quarantine, Italian officials announced it would work with banks to suspend mortgage payments for Italian households. French officials announced they would suspend payments of rent, utilities and taxes and have its national bank guarantee loans for short-term cash flow coupled with a fiscal stimulus package.
As of Wednesday, in Italy, there are 35,713 confirmed cases and 2,978 deaths and in France, there are 9,134 confirmed cases and 264 deaths. In the United States, there are 9,410 confirmed cases and 140 deaths so far. New York has the highest numbers in the nation, 3,083 confirmed cases and 20 deaths, according to the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and city sources. On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said experts could expect the peak of the epidemic at 45 days and have predicted the state could see anywhere between 50,000 to 110,000 cases.
“If there was a time to do this, it would be now,” said Weaver.
Neither the state nor the city has not made any official statements on the call for the relief from housing and utility payments.
Broader picture
The $10 billion package also includes funding for public and subsidized housing. “Public housing is woefully unprepared for COVID-19, and the poor quality of public housing means that residents are at great risk of contracting and spreading the virus. Subsidized housing/housing owned by not-for-profits operates on a thin margin, and these mission-oriented landlords must be able to secure hardship relief,” said the Housing Justice for All statement.
Also on Wednesday, Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez called for a 60-day halt to commercial rent payments. “There is a growing number of employers having to make the arduous decision of furloughing or laying off thousands of workers or facing serious financial ramifications,” he said in a statement. “Therefore, I call on the city to impose a temporary Rent Freeze for all small business owners who are currently impacted by Coronavirus restrictions. “
The pairing of a mortgage freeze with a rent freeze is important not just for owner-occupied homeowners, but also for landlords, whose ability to service mortgage debt would be compromised if rental income ceased.
CDC
70 thoughts on “Freeze Sought on Rent, Mortgage and Utility Payments as COVID Impact Grows”
I support this motion 100%. This is the time for all politicians to prove they care about working class families
I got laid off because of the coronavirus situation in ny. I pay $2500 rent every month not including utilities of electricity and gas. To only have my landlord not to be able to evict me for 3 months is surely not enough because afterwards he can ask for those back rent I didn’t pay. So I NEED THE RENT FREEZE So afterwards when this Coronavirous thing is over, my landlord cannot try to make me pay back rent. Oh, my wife is not working either. So PLEASE GET MY MESSAGE SOMEHOW TO THE Governor of NY Desk. If you’re going to offer help, THEN DO IT ALL THE WAY OTHERWISE AT THE END IT REALLY WASN’T HELP. HD
Renters need the same protection and relief as homeowners. Freeze rent for 3 months, w no payback and no eviction. Food and home are not luxuries. Maybe hit up all BIG banks and companies that get all the bailouts.
I agree 100%….. mortgage freeze and not rent freeze is unfair!!!! Please if anyone has more info please let me know ASAP … I’m literally in tears right now!!🙏🏼🙏🏼
Do you complaining renters understand that a “freeze” does not mean free!?!?!?! Landlords will still have to pay their mortgages. They will just pay it later, with interest! Nobody’s paying the bill for them during the freeze, moratorium, holiday, or whatever it is called in your city/state. They are getting the same consideration most renters are- the ability to pay it later. But they also pay interest on everything they don’t pay now. It’s surprising how little some people understand about basic finance. Invest more of your time in your education, please, instead of complaining about how the government gives away things to landlords. And consider that homeownership helps society by providing more stability and responsibility over land and everything in, on, or under it. These are things renters get to rely on others to do for them, whether it’s the government or their landlord. Homeowners/landlords do not. They take on the liability and financial responsibility for so much, plus pay the property taxes that fund a lot of your government services.
I am in the same situation we all lost our jobs in my home the unemployment is helpful but I already fell behind prior to pandemic due to my husband being hospitalized for heart failure among other health issues I am in serious medical debt and in serious other debt I’m afraid to spend the unemployment money out of fear to not be able to buy food and pay utility bills and when this eviction stay is lifted how will I pay back rent. Please help us Gov. Cuomo you have been doing a great job this far but to only freeze mortgage payments and not rent is unfair.
Renters, I feel you plight but do you understand ours. Do you realize that many landlords are working class people struggling to hold down a job or may have been laid off also. Not all of us are millionaires, many of us fight to pay our mortages, taxes, and my case all of the utililities for my one rental property.
I am working hard to provide a service to my renters and a comfortable place to live. We take care of trash, lawn maintenence, snow, damages, renovations, replace furniture, replace appliances. Every year we are lucky to break even. We do all of this in hopes that our labor will build equity and a chance to retire comfortably, not extravagantly. So when you are thinking about free rent, also think about where that free rent is coming from. If we the landlords, do not have rent, we both end up on the street.
You are absolutely right. Tenants think that just because we buy a house we are millionaires, that’s not the case. In my opinion as soon as renters go back to work they should repay the rent that they did not give for months. How about if this lasts longer they are going to live rent free. Owners have to support them, are they kidding. Someone should look after the land lords. Tenants could find other jobs that are available out there if they want to work.
Joann & Craig You must have not understood the executive order of the Governor. Your Mortgage, and utilities and Taxes are all currently Deferred. So as there will be no immediate expenses on your part, there should not be any need for You as landlords not to give your tenants a deferment on their rents. Many years ago I was a landlord and if I was one today, I would most definitely give my tenants a breather. So stop being selfish and put people first. The success of overcoming this pandemic is crucial and being able to stay home is priority one.
Renters don’t think anything comes free we work as hard as you, honey and we don’t think covid 19 is a excuse but how do u expect ppl to pay when they’re not making money because we got laid off u really sound so arrogant plz u think I’m gonna pay u rent or feed my family well I choose and will always choose to feed my family
No one said that property taxes, water and sewer and heat are deferred. When someone puts it in writing from the government than I will believe it. Soon the landlord will be paying tenants rent instead of the tenant paying the landlord rent.
We do not believe you are millionaires and some of us like myself pay all the utilities in the house electric, oil for heat,propane for hot water even the water bill and trash pick up. So there fore if landlords can get a mortgage break why not the tenant as well we did not ask to loose our jobs where we worked very hard just to barely get by. Thank you for listening and we mean no harm just help so we don’t end up on the street
The whole world is shut down sir. Many aren’t working. You just said you’re working class. You’re affected too. How can you demand money in this time, where can it come from if WE ALL ARE UNEMPLOYED!!
You read mortgages are froze for three months. So what are you complaining about. You’re safe in that department during this time.
Mortgages and utilities still have to be paid afterwords, are you prepared to pay the rent after?
In the current proposal for a rent cancellation in NYS, mortgage payments would be forgiven.
Once the stimulus package is signed you get a freeze on mortgage so at least you’ll be covered. I’m sure landlords are not working with tenants where rent is concerned during this time. Why not give your tenants options? I’m not saying to live free but come on. Having a roof over your head is not a luxury.
If you’re hard working and barely making money then why are you in the business? Could it be that you didn’t tell the good people here about equity? You have assets that, when paid off, will provide you will a lot of riches. Furthermore, it doesn’t really matter if you work hard for your tenants because your job Is unnecessary because the tenants can do it themselves or pay for someone else for repairs if they need to. Why do they need you as a middle man taking some money off the top?
Are you so delusional that you think people rent because they want the “Luxury” of having someone take care of maintenance for them? Do you forget, that in addition to paying rent to you that they are not getting ANY equity from the money they are spending, where as, you are when you pay your morgage. They are almost completely not allowed to make any changes to the rental, and YOU ARE LEECHING MONEY OFF OF THEM.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out having to call someone to order a maintenance is more expensive than just calling maintenance yourself.
The government should offer rent vouchers. Even in dire times you can’t go into a supermarket and get free food or go to a gas station and get free gas. Many landlords are small Mom & Pop operations where they depend solely on rents to live; to supplement social security or a small pension. They may no longer owe a mortgage so a mortgage freeze with no rent coming in does nothing. All landlords are not created equal or are rich. Many after paying taxes, insurance, upkeep and a mortgage if there is one still get Meals on Wheels or depend on food pantries.
In this case why don’t you buy some property and after let me know if a renter does not pay you how it feels if you can’t make ends meet because of no rent.
I got laid off 2 weeks ago I pay my motgage $2800
A month gas $600 a. Month light $400 a month not even adding food and water bill I need a mortgage freeze for I don’t how am going to make my payments or am going to lose my house please governor help we New York’s need it 🙏🙏
If, you were laid off due to this pandemic. When you apply for unemployment, you’ll be getting four months of unemployment check at your full pay.
Please let this freeze happen I’m a house of 9 and its been so hard at the time. None of us are working and theres 6 children in my household. It would be very hard to pay back rent without a freeze. We need all the help we can get at this time. Please help us all.
The bill they’re referring to is https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S8125?fbclid=IwAR0H0Fc69vDzlu-1I0QYPV3jD2Tn8L6lrctEtURfxt3DtcX1b0tBYNlSs-k
Please support and share it with your friends.. Oh and write the Governor . He’s given a pause on mortgages and needs to do the same for rent and utilities. 90 days of no evictions just means that in 90 days there are going to mass evictions. The rent needs to be canceled. Be safe ..
Please let this freeze happen I’m a house of 9 and its been so hard at the time. I pay $1500.00 a month not counting internet for my children and their education is being done online. Electric and oil payments, garbage, car payment and car insurance, food and personal items. None of us are working and theres 6 children in my household. It would be very hard to pay back rent without a freeze. We need all the help we can get at this time. Please help us all.
#freezerentfreezemortgagecovid19
How and when will this start? Does it go for banks like chase, bank of america, and citibank?
Nothing has been approved yet at the state level.
Is this only for the State of New York?
This particular request is only for New York State.
I support this bill
Rent , phone, cable, utilityrelief for atleast 90 days with forgiveness
Landlords should have mortgage relief and people who own multiple rental properties should get relief so as not to harrass tenants. This helps so many. Now up that 1000 check to 2500 a adult 500 a child because rent in some areas is almost 1000 thats only helping businesses nothinh wrong with that but what about when thats gone we have paid enough taxes for this to happen
Ok so they won’t evict ppl. But I am worried about the rent adding up. I don’t want my family on the street after the 90 days. After 90 days I will owe 3600 in rent
I just called SPServicing thta serves my mortgage, and they say that they do not have any COVID19 assistance program for mortgages. I have to pay even if I do not have any income…..how long it may take to words become actions?
I have SPS too and if I don’t receive rent on my 3 family home I am in trouble. I still have to pay for any repairs a tenant needs, taxes, insurance, utilities. That is why I am advocating for rent vouchers . Landlords esp small landlords can’t afford to go without rent. No one is asking anyone else to give up anything for free. The hospitals have to still pay for masks, gloves, ventilators during a pandemic. Grocers charge for food. Gas stations charge for gas. All forms of transportation: planes, trains, Uber, buses still charge.
What about child support payments? Most of us are not working now and can not meet the amount to pay now. Can we start a discussion about the non custodial parent that has no income now?
What if the custodial parent is not working as well? Child support shouldn’t stop because guess what the child still have to be fed. You get unemployment and the money is taken from there. Most custodial parents don’t think of the kids need. Responsibility doesn’t stop. You take on other jobs in the industries that are deemed essential so that you can take care of the child.
Yes please! I was in the midst of finishing a certification training in order to relaunch my career after being a SAHM for many years, now my husband was laid off due to CoVid-19.
#freezerentfreezemortgagecovid19
What happens to rent payments if NYS goes to “shelter-in-place” as California and some other hard-hit states have had to do? With “shelter-in-place,” renters won’t be able to leave home to mail or deliver rent-payments, and landlords won’t be able to leave home to collect them …
I support the freeze the rent
What about a freeze for all New Yorkers rent? If we don’t pay thenn the rent will just add up.i don’t want my family on the streets
I have the same question about at least 90 day moratorium on commercial and residential rent. I am self employed and efffectively out of work now
Yes please FREEZE Rent utility Thanks
They should freeze all rent and utilities throughout the country and fine all those who don’t abide by the law, people are suffering with this corona virus and can not pay there monthly bills texas is one state as well as new York people need the governments help
Peaple that live Upstate New York have been informed by the majority company Not to return to work. How are we going to pay rent, Utilities etc. as an Average Joe. I hear about mortgages, bank loans car loans, except about the lower income class. People that have to function on a day-to-day basis, working check by check just to have a roof over there family’s head. Whatever they call home… How are we to support our responsibilities as rent, utilities, food and basics Necessities without income. How are we going to keep our head above water, without a solution from our government. We the voters ( country ), voted you into the position you hold because we believe in our country representatives, especially in times like these.. We have to Unite together And pray for the best. That we will come together throughout these hard times and pray for a better future. We the people need firm Decisions Now.
You’ll get 4 month of unemployment checks at your full salary. Unless you work for tips, this should not be an issue.
What you all seem to ignore is that landlords still need to pay property taxes and water bills
This mortgage relief doesn’t cancel the debt it still needs to be paid back
Yea, they will continue paying after the freeze is over that’s all, they won’t lose they won’t win, it will just go on the back end of the mortgage, 35 year mortgage turns to 35 and 3 months but you also don’t have to pay mortgage for 3 months
I am recieving Social Security, my family is worried about our Land Lord threatening to Evict us. Our rent is 2500 a month. The Church helped us with the month of Feburary. We are worried about March rent. We are seasonal workers and some of us is about to be laid off . What do we do about our rent? Scared of Land Lord repercussions. Help. Can we be evicted. And what if Landlord wont accept these terms?
I support the rent freeze. So many people are being laid off and the government is saying stay home. It is so scary right now. Hopefully a plan is put into place that if a virus outbreak happens in the future rent / mortgage payments will be frozen until further notice.
So will all rent be freeze ? I’m asking about people who rent rooms and apartments will there rent be freezed? Because if there jobs are effected by this virus how can they work to pay ? Would landlords get in trouble if they try to kick a tenant out ?
While sympathetic to the crisis many renters face, What about private landlords on fixed incomes who no longer have a mortgage yet still must pay home owner’s insurance, property taxes, water bills, repairs, personal expenses etc. ? Do they just take a loss?
This is what I am wondering. It seems considerations are only being given to those who “pay” rent and not those who “receive” rent as their means of maintaining their property and as their income.
Yes support rent freeze. If I can’t work I can’t pay my rent. Which is 1050.00 a month. We need actions not words and quickly.
Freeze
The freeze is essential but not to be owed back as that is just as stressful it needs to be forgiven and rent needs to be renegotiated w a new lease due to a hopeful level of new income if any good is to come to New Yorkers these exorbitant rent increases must stop once & for all all should be under same rule as stabilized not market rate what ever!! I work 2 jobs and odd jobs I’m am commission worker in a non essential field I want all to live and thrive we must pay what we can and receive help no one should in-cure more debt should we get past this let this be beneficial no more price increases wo pay increase it’s not helpful to the economy
Market price is insane there is no market right now
I as so many NYC residents, rent in a commercial space, as a living situation.
Illegal rental in other words. I’m being told to pay rent or get out.
I just received orders from my company that as I am not an essential worker, all work is suspended till further notice. I’m applying online for food stamps and rental assistance, however, due to covid 19, I’m afraid I won’t be considered for rent assistance, because of my rental situation. We need help please Governor Cuomo – most of NYC rents. Millions illegally. Please help. I’m nearly 60, a single head of household, renting a room in Brooklyn NY, and need that rent to stay alive. Till this is over. Where do I turn? I’ll be on the street in about a week – THX for reading anyone who might have been able to help. I have barely been making rent, phone and weekly MetroCard payments. Nevermind food.
Please please help us. I’m one of hundreds of thousands. Thanks for listening.
I would agree with many others. Just get all banks, lenders, mortgage loan holders to agree to postpone mortgage payments until this crisis is behind us. I am not suggesting that such payments be forgiven, just postponed. For example – assume someone has a mortgage payment of $2000 per month on a loan that still has 20 years to go. By postponing payments for say, 3 months, then payments would resume at same amount; $2000, and loan would still have 20 years to go. Who could this possibly hurt? And the amount of good will this action would result in seems to be boundless.
There’s a big misconception: Where do you think Landlords will get the money to pay for YOUR water, YOUR Repairs, YOUR outside lights, YOUR laundry machines upkeep, YOUR cleaning building, YOUR outside gardening, YOUR plumbing repairs, YOUR roof repairs, YOUR broken faucets, toilets, walls, windows, YOUR handyman, YOUR employees payroll/workman’s compensation/Medical that coordinate all the above. All of these expense will INCREASE due to everyone being “at home” which will increase YOUR Landlords water bills probably 2 or 3 times. Please know that all of the people noted above are just like YOU…90% of YOUR rent goes towards the BIG MORTGAGE and ALL YOUR repairs above and all YOUR people doing those job for YOU. The the “Landlords” only get to keep about 10% of YOUR rent after everyone else gets paid. There is NO FREE MONEY. Please try to pay your rent as much as you can to keep the economy going. Landlords will remember who was cooperative and who was trying to GAME the Rent and Them……
The rent, taxes, and utilities suspension in France is only for small businesses in case of hardship, not for residential tenants. The incorrect information has been repeated in a lot of English-language media, but French tenants are still in a similar position to New York tenants. We absolutely need a rent suspension, but it’s important that we not spread misinformation and that we get the terms right!
Italy has it for everybody. Frozen credit payment charges mortgages etc. if the government forces companies to work and put their workforce on lay off ..how that heck are people to pay.
Looks like everyone want’s a free place to live. Why would a landlord do that for you? They are not running charities or free loader clubs.
Obviously you are a landlord. Is a FREeZE. Just like it will be for a landlord and their issues. It is not the tenants fault that the Government is forcing the people to stop working. Take it up to the government. Let’s support the 90 days freeze on mortgages and rent. Period.
All hotels in NYC were forced to closed when the international flights where suspended by TRUMP. Currently the hotel industry is shut down and we are on lay off for 60 days for now. We need to freeze rent and mortgage payments for 90 days are least for some sort of relief. More than 900 thousand people just in the hotel and crusade industry in NY are on lay off. 500 thousand so far in Vegas alone. We need the govern to act.
As a landlord all my tenants have lost their jobs. Please help us as landlords struggling to pay the mortgage on nyc, not lose our property, we fought so hard for.
As a landlord for commercial tenants, one is a Restaurant owner, the other a gym for young children which are both non essential, i have village, town, school taxes to pay the local tax collectors that amount to over $80,000 per year. Does the goverment have any plan to help us with the tax liability, forgive the taxes? I depend on the small amount leftover to live on. i do not have any un -employment ins opportunity. I’m sure a lot of small commercial building owners are feeling this also.
This is the truth. We have a dentist, a travel agency a couple other small tenants in our building, all of whom have emptied the building for over a week now. I run a small business in the same building. The travel agency has just told us that they are just going out of business because they have been hammered by Covid since the beginning of the year with everyone cancelling trips. They owe us several months rent, but I really feel for them as well as all the other businesses, because I am in the same position. But I know I have tens of thousands of dollars in insurance payments, mortgage payments, utilities, and a whopping $50,000 in property tax payments due in a couple months. Everyone seems to think there are no expenses involved in owning a property. Where is that money supposed to come from? Is the government going to say free rent for everybody, but then turn around and still ask all property owners for their pound of flesh from landlords who have had no income for the last 3 months? I have absolutely zero problem letting tenants go rent free for the next couple of months, as long as we’re forgiven on our property taxes, mortgage payments, and utilities. I’m not asking to make money during these tough times, I’m just trying not be bankrupted.
Yes the rents, mortgage should be a freeze. No back rent to be paid. When the crisis is over the lease would be extended for same time frame of crisis. With mortgage no payments to lien holder but extending out payoff date to cover for loss of time. With concerns to landlords who hold free and clear properties they would be compensated for losses by deducting those on their tax return. The gov. could allow a 100% deduction for those individuals. This would cover renters, landlord, and the bank or lien holder.
With concerns to utilities that is a more complicated issue seeing that it is consumable. One would start with dividing up the bases of use in residential / business / essential business. With residential the utility companies would freeze payment demands and after crisis would take cumulative amount owed charge a small % to customer and the gov. pick up other portion or have that option to write off on taxes. Regular businesses would be shuttered anyways not using electric the base fee if no utility was used would be forgiven. Essential business would not be charged and gov would pick up tab or give option to write off as loss on tax.
With food concerns there should be a system to help those who need it supplying the basics and necessities to survive. You could write a book on this part but in the simple form its called rationing.
The same would go for medications as with foods.
Hope all stay safe and your outcomes are one day fruitful.
ks
Safety everyone,
I drive for Uber- my Company still charges my credit card on file. I talked to them and they were mentioning some mileage limits, working 7 days in order to not charge me.
It’s really frustrating- no mercy
Thank god for our Governor-Cuomo
I would like to know if this is legal given the circumstances .
Stay safe everyone.
Suspending of rent etc is a good idea. The suspension should be for all landlords as well. Mortgage payments should be suspended for the landlords as well and there should be no retroactive payments due after the suspension is lifted.
I am 66 yrs old. I had my home built 29 years ago. I felt it was the American dream & triple in value by the time I retired. Instead, I’ve gone through 3 real estate crashes, my property & school taxes going passed $12,000 a year, & I now still have a $225,000 mortgage as as soon as I chip away at the mortgage, I must refinance to get cash to make ends meet with the taxes, maintenance…….The home is worth about $250,000, if that, so after the agent’s cut,the negotiating, I’d probably have to pay the buyer money for them to take it. It’s always been that way. The children have been gone, & it’s a big house, so I started renting space in the home, usually to two people in two different areas assuring everyone privacy. This rent thing just happened, & even though I know for a fact that the tenant who is renting 2 adjoining rooms, with a private bath & exit (our former Master Suite, has over $5000 cash, he now claims since he’s been laid off, he doesn’t have to pay rent. He was looking to move out for the last few months with his girlfriend, but rental prices for an apartment big enough for him, his girlfriend, her two little girls,& the twins she’s now expecting, are way too expensive. His plan seems to be to save the $600 a month he pays me to add to his savings so they can get a place. In the meantime he violates the verbal lease by having her basically live here, even though she has her own place with an ex-husband who won’t leave. The $600 includes all utilities, cable, & wifi, so I’m literally paying this guy to live here. He was actually a very good tenant before all this. I have trouble making it without that $600. There are many homeowners with mortgages who rent rooms due to the astronomical property taxes. What happens to us. After 29 years, I may actually lose my home, & Quicken is saying I don’t meet the requirements of forbearance as they don’t consider delinquent room renters as regular income. I reiterate, there are 100’s of thousands of people who rent space in their homes to make ends meet.