Rep. Ilhan Omar advocates for rent, mortgage relief during pandemic

The Minnesota representative wants to help unemployed people retain housing

Apr 20, 2020

llhan Omar theGrio.com — Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) attends a panel at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar does not want those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to have to worry about paying their rent or mortgage.

Omar has introduced a bill advocating rent and mortgage relief. It will benefit millions who are unemployed as entire industries including travel and lodging, entertainment, sports, construction, retail, and restaurants have grounded to a halt.

Ilhan Omar thegrio.com

22 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past month, and rent is due again in two weeks.

My Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act will fully cancel — not suspend — rent and mortgage payments through the pandemic. #CancelRent

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 17, 2020

According to The Hill, Omar’s proposal would mean rent and mortgage cancellation, not just suspension, through to one month after the nation is no longer under the national emergency as was declared in March.

In a statement, Omar said, “The coronavirus crisis is more than just a public health crisis—it’s an economic crisis.

“Congress has a responsibility to step in to stabilize both local communities and the housing market during this time of uncertainty and crisis. In 2008, we bailed out Wall Street. This time, it’s time to bail out the American people who are suffering.”

The bill’s co-sponsors are many of the Democratic Reps. of color in multiple states that have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley(Mass.) Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Mark Pocan (Wis.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Jesús García (Ill.) Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) and Grace Meng (N.Y.).

Landlords or mortgage holders who take adverse action against tenants or those who own property would be hit with fines ranging from $5000 to $50,000 under the terms of the bill.