(CNN) The consequences of the novel coronavirus are relentlessly wide-ranging. And for many in the workforce, the mass closures it's caused have resulted in lost income.

Local officials are stepping up. Cities like Seattle and San Francisco and states like New York have temporarily suspended evictions to support residents who've been sidelined by the coronavirus and can't pay rent.

The virus has already upended life as many Americans know it: School closures , canceled gatherings, locked-down nursing homes. Halting evictions is just one way to support the residents who bear the brunt of the change, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said.

"We have entered an unprecedented era for our city," Durkan said in a statement. "Too many families are already struggling, and Covid-19 virus has disproportionately affected the communities who can least afford it."

Eviction pauses protect renters