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File #: 200311    Version: 0 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: ADOPTED
File created: 5/1/2020 In control: CITY COUNCIL
On agenda: Final action: 5/21/2020
Title: Supporting Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in his call to all landlords in the Commonwealth and Philadelphia to provide aid to their tenants during the Covid-19 crisis and throughout its aftermath.
Sponsors: Councilmember Domb, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Gym, Councilmember Parker
Attachments: 1. Resolution No. 20031100, 2. Signature20031100
Title
Supporting Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in his call to all landlords in the Commonwealth and Philadelphia to provide aid to their tenants during the Covid-19 crisis and throughout its aftermath.

Body
WHEREAS, Covid-19, the novel coronavirus, has created not only a public health emergency in Pennsylvania, but has also led to what will likely be the greatest economic crisis since the Great Recession; and

WHEREAS, Residents of the Commonwealth have been directed to stay at home in order to stop the spread of this virus. Evicting residents from their homes would undermine this critical public health goal and put both the public and evicted residents at further risk of contracting the novel Coronoavirus; and

WHEREAS, Businesses throughout the Commonwealth have closed in order to stop the spread of this disease leading to record numbers of Pennsylvanians losing their jobs. By doing their part to help defeat Covid-19 and staying home, millions of residents are facing the possibility of losing their homes; and

WHEREAS, Over one and half million Pennsylvanians have lost jobs and lost wages during this crisis. Businesses will need time to reopen, unemployment compensation and federal paycheck support will take time to reach those in need, and our economy will come back slowly as regions of our Commonwealth go through phased reopening; and

WHEREAS, In a letter sent on April 28, 2020, Attorney General Josh Shapiro called on all landlords in the Commonwealth to work with their tenants to take reasonable steps to help people stay in their homes when the eviction moratorium is lifted, courts reopen, and business slowly beings to resume. While unpaid rent is owed to landlords, the city can support steps to ease this burden residents and families; and

WHEREAS, AG Shapiro called on landlords to take the following actions: 1) Not begin new eviction proceedings, regardless of the status of the moratorium, until July 15, 2020 (while retaining the right to f...

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