Workers across the state have lost income due to COVID-19. Some have self-quarantined, some are being told to stay home, some work for businesses that are struggling to attract customers, some work for businesses that have shut down. Freelancers, self-employed people, event workers, workers in the gig and informal economies, and more are all impacted. Because of income loss, people cannot afford their bills, including rent and utilities.





Thankfully, workers have temporary relief: because of the eviction moratorium, no one will be evicted for now. No utility provider governed by Kentucky's Public Service Commission will be suspending utilities for nonpayment. These are steps in the right direction. But more action is needed.





These protections are temporary. They do not protect everyone. Bills are piling up, and workers are still struggling. No one should lose their homes or utilities because of this public health emergency--not now, and not later.





Governor Beshear, we, the undersigned, call on you to issue an executive order accomplishing the following:





(1) Ensure that no one will ever be evicted, have their home foreclosed, or have utilities shut-off, neither now nor after the crisis has abated, due to non-payment that occurred during the State of Emergency. Require landlords, banks, and utility companies to accept partial payment, payment plans, and grant payment forgiveness to residents unable to pay during the State of Emergency, and require that landlords, banks, and utility companies never retaliate against residents for such situations.(2) Enact a moratorium on all utility shut-offs that lasts the entire time Kentucky is in a State of Emergency.(3) Enact a moratorium on foreclosures that lasts the entire time Kentucky is in a State of Emergency.(4) Provide emergency assistance funds to people unable to pay rent, mortgages, or utility bills.

(5) Freeze all rent and utility prices at current levels until the end of the State of Emergency.





Taken together, these measures provide basic protections for residents during the COVID-19 outbreak. We need them to ensure our public health and personal stability.



Cosponsoring organizations:

Lexington Housing Justice Collective



Acap

Black Lives Matter Louisville

Broken Hearted Homes Tenant Association

Center For Neighborhoods

Civic Data Alliance

Fayette County Young Democrats

Food Not Bombs Lexington

Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky

Justice Before Peace

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

Kentucky Equal Justice Center

Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition

Lexington Democratic Socialists of America

Lexington Food Not Bombs

Louisville Democratic Socialists of America

Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice

Metropolitan Housing Coalition

Mobile Mutual Aid

Mountain Association for Community Economic Development

NORML - Wildcat Chapter

Our Revolution Central Kentucky

Parents for Social Justice

Party for Socialism and Liberation Kentucky

Patchwork Cooperative Loan Fund

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana and Kentucky

Reparations Roundtable

Root Cause Research Center

Satanic Louisville

SisterSong Kentucky

Sunrise Movement Bowling Green

WKU Queer Student Union

WKU Young Democratic Socialists of America









