Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

Right Now: Rent and mortgage relief; take care of gig workers

April 6, 2020 By Charley on the MTA 2 Comments

Wednesday was the first of the month. Rent was due.

Unemployment claims for Massachusetts were 329,000 over the last two weeks. That’s … 4.8% of the entire population of Massachusetts, and 9% of the workforce, newly out of a job, right now. It’s like … there’s practically no economy at all.

So I’m glad that the Massachusetts House has quickly put together and passed a package for a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. Congrats and thanks to Reps. Mike Connolly and Kevin Honan. May this pass quickly into law.

Sadly this won’t be anywhere near enough. Some mortgage lenders are offering 90 day forbearance — but then you have to come up with all the money. What good is that going to do you? Who, having been laid off from their jobs, is going to have three times the usual mortgage payment at the end of 90 days? (This advice from NPR’s go-to personal finance expert Michelle Singletary was … informative, but not at all hopeful. Smash the piggy bank and good luck, she seemed to say.) We need a mortgage freeze, a rent freeze, and an eviction freeze. Banks need to take a haircut, big time. A lease, a mortgage are agreed upon with an assumption of a certain degree of stability and predictability in life. But now, a huge number of people can hardly be expected to make the usual payments under these circumstances.

There is some help for the newly unemployed in the new CARES bill passed by Congress. But apparently that money is only quickly available if you’ve already got a direct deposit set up with the federal government. Add that to the effects of the ongoing Republican project to de-fund government functions, and you’ve got crisis upon crisis:

Officials at the Internal Revenue Service have warned that $1,200 relief checks may not reach many Americans until August or September if they haven’t already given their direct-deposit information to the government. Taxpayers in need of answers from the IRS amid a rapidly changing job market are encountering dysfunctional government websites and unresponsive call centers that have become understaffed as federal workers stay home.

August? September? Are you kidding me?

And the self-employed, the gig workers whose jobs simply evaporated over the last two or three weeks … there’s no help for them soon.

In many states, including Massachusetts, the state unemployment system isn’t set up for those who didn’t previously qualify for unemployment insurance and the Department of Unemployment Assistance is waiting on federal guidelines on how to process their claims.

The unemployment website notes that unemployment benefits for the self-employed are “currently UNAVAILABLE” — in all capital letters.

On Monday, Governor Charlie Baker urged self-employed workers not to seek aid through the state portal, saying they wouldn’t be able to get through the system and could create a traffic jam for others who do qualify.

So … too bad? The rent is due but you’ll just have to wait? That’s it, for the Uber drivers, for those conveniently classified as “contract workers”; for all my freelance musician friends who have been decimated? This is both farcical and callous.

We’re doing not nearly enough, not fast enough.

If you know something new, do hold forth in the comments.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0
0

Filed Under: Editor Tagged With: arts, charlie-baker, coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID19, foreclosures, gig workers, Kevin Honan, Mike Connolly, mortgage relief, rent freeze, renters, unemployment-benefits

Comments

  1. gmoke says

    April 6, 2020 at 3:51 pm

    France, Ireland, New Zealand, El Salvador…. are all countries which now have rent freezes for the duration of this crisis. Why not the USA? Or MA?
    http://www.rentfreeze.org

    Log in to Reply
  2. terrymcginty says

    April 6, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    If this gets as bad as it may, it may force the issue of a progressive income tax, or provoke an emergency surtax on income. We would be foolish to sit and wait like a deer in headlights like Herbert Hoover did nationally in 1929-30. We cannot just allow massive numbers of evictions over the six months.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recommended Posts

  • Progressive Mass Shouldn’t Back Stupid Primaries (3)

Recent User Posts

Zero Net Energy – August 2022

August 18, 2022 By gmoke Leave a Comment

Liz

August 17, 2022 By johntmay 5 Comments

Progressive Mass Shouldn’t Back Stupid Primaries

August 12, 2022 By jconway 12 Comments

There Is Not A Chance the White House is Happy With This Timing

August 10, 2022 By terrymcginty 8 Comments

Site issue: Unable to reply to comments

August 10, 2022 By SomervilleTom 4 Comments

Why do PUKES oppose $35 insulin for diabetics with private insurance?

August 8, 2022 By fredrichlariccia 3 Comments

Recent Comments

  • jconway on LizTake it from an expert, third parties are doomed to fail…
  • jconway on Progressive Mass Shouldn’t Back Stupid PrimariesPost the interview online and let voters judge for thems…
  • johntmay on LizAs the news of Mar-a-Lago unfolds, and the economy impro…
  • johntmay on Liz“the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Kautilya, the Hind…
  • SomervilleTom on Progressive Mass Shouldn’t Back Stupid PrimariesAs I've said several times already, the commentary on th…
  • Keith Bernard on Progressive Mass Shouldn’t Back Stupid PrimariesI was on the interview with Rep Vitolo. He was outwardly…
  • Keith Bernard on LizFirst of all, gross. While I appreciate Ms. Cheney's cou…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

#mapoli

lowellcouncilor Darius Mitchell_ Massachusetts Governor 2022 🇺🇸 @lowellcouncilor ·
42m

THE LAST WEEK TO REGISTER TO VOTE 🗳 FOR MASSACHUSETTS SEPTEMBER 6TH PRIMARY!

#MAPOLI #BOSPOLI #NHPOLITICS

Reply on Twitter 1560758200319807489 Retweet on Twitter 1560758200319807489 Like on Twitter 1560758200319807489 Twitter 1560758200319807489
headlineoptics Headline Optics @headlineoptics ·
44m

New report shows Massachusetts among worst states for renters – Spectrum News https://www.masspolicyreport.com/2022/08/19/new-report-shows-massachusetts-among-worst-states-for-renters-spectrum-news/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter @masspolicy #MApoli #Massachusetts

Reply on Twitter 1560757634419924992 Retweet on Twitter 1560757634419924992 Like on Twitter 1560757634419924992 Twitter 1560757634419924992
timocity Tim Ney @timocity ·
50m

We don’t have the luxury of time to go through anything like a planning process -@jfh

https://www.governing.com/now/how-boston-area-officials-are-responding-to-transit-turmoil #MBTA #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1560756222189617153 Retweet on Twitter 1560756222189617153 Like on Twitter 1560756222189617153 Twitter 1560756222189617153
chrisforma Chris Doughty @chrisforma ·
51m

4x8 lawn signs are popping up across the state! Get yours today at https://chrisforma.com/lawn-signs #mapoli #magov

3

Reply on Twitter 1560755993893535744 Retweet on Twitter 1560755993893535744 Like on Twitter 1560755993893535744 4 Twitter 1560755993893535744
aarash19 Robert J Braecklein @aarash19 ·
56m

I will write articles in 24hours on̖ #nfts, #crypto, #blockchain #metaverse, #defi, #web3, dao 😀
#financialassistance #mapoli #bospoli #teamtuesday #culture #team #trust #kintent

👉👉https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=169592&brand=fiverrcpa&afp=random-hashtag&afp1=mariadiandra/rewrite-and-transform-your-plagiarized-content&landingPage=https://www.fiverr.com/mariadiandra/rewrite-and-transform-your-plagiarized-content&t=1660947918

Reply on Twitter 1560754807799185408 Retweet on Twitter 1560754807799185408 Like on Twitter 1560754807799185408 Twitter 1560754807799185408
creaturewise courtney meinders @creaturewise ·
56m

5 Steps To Start Your #Dropshipping Business For Passive Income̍.

🤝
#debt #fba #mapoli #kindnesswithmarcus #mtgarena #mtgexplorer #harleyquinns3 #jobwithbenefits

👉👉https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=169592&brand=fiverrcpa&afp=random-hashtag&afp1=stores/dropshipping&landingPage=https://www.fiverr.com/stores/dropshipping&t=1660947874

Reply on Twitter 1560754622360592385 Retweet on Twitter 1560754622360592385 Like on Twitter 1560754622360592385 Twitter 1560754622360592385
Load More

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2022 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.