Source: Housing Matters

Disasters, whether climate related or a pandemic, have catastrophic effects on all of us. Although physically or economically vulnerable families bear the most immediate harm, solutions that look at only immediate harms can add new vulnerabilities and risks. With the  mounting  Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and  extended   "social distancing " across the US, hourly workers and small businesses face abrupt disruptions in income. The resulting job insecurity and housing instability have rightly sparked local and state governments to seek eviction moratorium. But a temporary hold on evictions allows rent arrears to add up, which puts renters in deeper crisis in the future while harming rental property owners today. An effective solution to economic risks from COVID-19 would get the rent paid.

Excerpt from CNBC, featuring GreenPath President & CEO, Kristen Holt, on which bills to pay during the Coronavirus outbreak.

April 1 is here. Meeting routine financial obligations, such as rent and student loan bills, will be a challenge for the millions of Americans who find themselves without a paycheck thanks to the Coronavirus outbreak. Overwhelmed? Scared? Begin by making a list of all your bills, experts say. At the top should be the things you most need. "Normally, rent and mortgage are the most important," said Anthony Alexis, a partner in Goodwin's Financial Industry and Consumer Financial Services Litigation. Yet nothing is normal these days. "For rentals, many large states such as California and New York have enacted a moratorium on evictions," Alexis said.That means you may be able to redirect your usual housing costs to other essentials, if you need to.