The pandemic has been the challenge of a lifetime for this country, and without some miracle of bipartisanship in D.C., it’s about to get a lot harder. Both expanded federal unemployment benefits and the moratorium on evictions will end this month, and millions of Americans are on the brink of economic devastation and homelessness. This mass displacement of working families – in addition to the death-toll exacted by COVID – will be the legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Much of this mess will be left to states to deal with however they can. Of the numerous crises affecting Maine that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, the lack of affordable housing remains among the most pressing.
Maine didn’t have enough housing for all of its workforce before the pandemic, and in some parts of the state, home prices have skyrocketed 30 percent between the third quarter of 2019 and the same period in 2020, as people have fled cities and begun working remotely here. The effect of the NIMBYism that’s stymied the development of workforce housing and prevented the adoption of inclusionary zoning ordinances in towns across the state are about to be felt in full.
Maine must enact a statewide moratorium on evictions throughout the duration of the pandemic. Foreclosures should also be halted. This will not be welcome news to the many landlords who have been doing their best by their tenants during this crisis, but it’s what must be done to save lives. The state must also expand emergency rental assistance during this period. It’s the only humane thing to do.
Grayson Lookner
Portland
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