Emergency Demands for COVID-19 Response in Milwaukee and Wisconsin

TO: Governor Evers, Lt. Governor Barnes, Attorney General Kaul, Wisconsin House and Senate Leadership, Mayor Barrett, County Executive Abele, and other County and City Officials

Wisconsin residents are in the middle of a public health crisis. In order to halt widespread displacement from our homes and our jobs, we are calling on Governor Evers, Lt. Governor Barnes, Attorney General Kaul, Wisconsin House and Senate Leadership, Mayor Barrett, County Executive Abele, and other County and City Officials to enact the following measures for the duration of the state of emergency declared by Gov. Evers on March 12, 2020:

1) A moratorium on all evictions, housing foreclosures, rent, and mortgage payments.

2) Opening of vacant properties, underutilized dwellings, and hotels to shelter homeless individuals in place when existing shelters and temporary housing reach capacity.

3) A moratorium on the termination of utility services, telephone, internet, and cable services.

4) Provision of at least 8 weeks of paid sick leave.

5) Waiver of the one week waiting period for receiving unemployment benefits and extension of unemployment insurance to provide relief for anyone affected by the coronavirus, including not only patients, but also parents, spouses, primary caregivers, or anyone losing work as a consequence of businesses closed due to the virus.

6) Forgiveness of all fees or debts accrued for utilities, housing, or other basic services.

7) Waiver of all public transit fares.

8) An extension of public assistance benefits to all individuals affected by the coronavirus. This includes the expansion of SNAP and TANF benefits to all affected individuals, as well as a suspension of drug testing and work requirements in both of these programs.

9) Extension of Medicaid benefits to cover all tests and treatments related to COVID-19 and expansion of eligibility to all individuals without insurance.

10) Furloughing of all prisoners awaiting trial and enacting a moratorium on cash bail.

These demands represent the minimum state and local leaders should do to prevent this public-health emergency from becoming the largest human and economic catastrophe in American history.

The choice before us is very clear. We can either act now, or perpetuate a vicious cycle. With each day, more and more Wisconsin residents will be at risk of contracting COVID-19. The crisis will affect all of us––especially those who are homeless, those living in poverty, and those who are aging, disabled, or ill. Self-isolation and quarantine measures will cause workers to lose a substantial share of their income. Evictions and homelessness will worsen the transmission of COVID-19. An injury to one is truly an injury to all.

Signed,

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Milwaukee Chapter

Black Leaders Organizing the Community (BLOC)

Solidarity, Milwaukee Branch