Conversation

Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
As we exit our second weekend of self-quarantine, it can be hard to feel anything but powerless in the face of this unprecedented pandemic. But there is also an opportunity now to acknowledge and repair the faultlines that have weakened our city for decades. (THREAD)
6
921
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
Last Tuesday I watched the live feed of the city council meeting in response to COVID. As I listened to each councilmember make their remarks, I was astounded at how bound they were by the politics of inaction they'd practiced for decades.
2
166
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
To me, the most revealing moment came during discussion on a motion to provide an eviction moratorium.
@MikeBoninLA
’s motion initially provided 24 months for tenants to pay back the rent they owed. I watched in shock at how the rest of the council responded.
2
147
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
Other councilmembers immediately brought up the issue of "mom and pop" landlords who may suffer as a result of non-payment of rent. Instead of 24 months, the Council shortened the repayment period for rent to *six*.
2
125
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
Let’s put this discussion in context: Rents in Los Angeles before the pandemic had risen to unsustainably high levels. For decades, we protected landlords at the expense of renters, allowing prices to rise to the point where the very demographics of our city changed.
1
181
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
The skyrocketing rents led to an explosion of homelessness. Thousands upon thousands of residents were displaced, including so many black Angelenos. We'd already begun to transform our city from one where working people could survive to one that is only livable for the wealthy.
1
147
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
In a city anchored by the service and entertainment industries, both now reeling, the pandemic has deepened existing frailties: the lack of a guaranteed paycheck, incredibly high costs for basic necessities like food, housing, and transportation, terrible or no insurance.
1
135
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
This is no longer a question of protecting tenants OR mom and pop landlords. We can and must do both. Across the country, there are enough politicians fighting for the interests of landlords. For once, I'm asking that we in Los Angeles focus on the rights of tenants *first*.
1
225
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
We cannot end this crisis and immediately start a new one for residents. What kind of fair solution ends up with millions of our neighbors drowning in new housing debt? Together we can ensure justice for ALL our neighbors, instead of punishing them for surviving a pandemic.
2
119
Nithya Raman
@nithyavraman
Politicians always talk about ending “business as usual.” Now, business as usual has been upended for us. Let us see through this crisis to imagine a reality where housing is truly a human right. We need that reality now more than ever before.
2
108
Kyle Tague
@KyleTague
Replying to
@nithyavraman
I’m sorry, but this doesn’t go far enough. Saddling people with insurmountable debt as we head into a depression will only make things exponentially worse. We need a tots freeze on mortgages and rent. No repayments. A pause.
1