Protesters Nationwide Demand Rent Strike Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Gov. Cuomo Says He Sees Both Sides Of Issue
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- So many who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic are worried about paying their rent, and now many are calling for a rent strike.
They were making themselves heard across the city and across their bumpers with the hashtags #CancelRent, #Recovery4All and #MakeBillionairesPay.
It was a movement across the nation with people demanding a rent strike.
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"Housing should be a human right. Housing shouldn't depend on whether or not you have a job," said Sasha Wijeyeratne, executive director of the nonprofit CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities.
Wijeyeratne believes tenants should be forgiven for the debt they incur during the pandemic.
"No one should be evicted in this time," she said. "No one should go into debt that they won't go be able to get out of for generations at this time."
RELATED STORY: New Jersey Landlords Ordered To Accept Security Deposits For Rent As Total COVID-19 Cases Top 100,000
But what about landlords?
"I empathize with all those tenants that can't afford to pay the rent," Brooklyn landlord Chris Athineos told CBS2's Dick Brennan.
Athineos says that he doesn't want to see anyone evicted, but he has bills, too.
"We have to pay our real estate taxes, our water and sewer. I don't see, the city or the state has not come up with any plan for relief for property owners," he said.
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Sounds of protesters outside the state capitol in Albany were heard inside Gov. Andrew Cuomo's daily briefing.
"You have protesters in front of this building on a continuing basis," the governor said.
Cuomo insisted he could see all sides of the plight.
"I get the people who say nobody should have to pay rent. I get that argument. I get the landlords who say and the building owners who say if nobody pays rent, I'm going to walk away from my building," he said.
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The governor says that people who can't pay rent are safe for now.
"They cannot be evicted. That is the law 'til June, that law is in effect 'til June," Cuomo said.
What about when June comes around? Cuomo says we'll figure it out.
