Resources
Will the Small Business Bailout Work?
Maybe, maybe not. First, there is simply not the banking infrastructure to meet the demand from these small businesses for $376 billion in loans made available under the relief package. Second, while small businesses are guaranteed six months forbearance under the package, banks are still allowed to make their own rules for loan repayment, meaning the interest rates and terms are made by the bank, and will not necessarily be competitive market terms.
For more info, see my article Will The SBA Loans Really Save Small Businesses?
I Can’t Pay my Rent, what does this mean?
States and even cities throughout America have declared various levels of protection over the last few weeks. In states like Georgia, there is no protection against eviction. However, the government did postpone all ‘non-essential’ court hearings until April 13th. Unfortunately, this does not prevent counties within the state from holding emergency hearings for landlords. California has announced a postponement of evictions until May 31st, and some cities within the state have gone even further. Los Angeles allows renters one year to make rent payments, and landlords are required to waive all late fees. Washington Governor, Jay Inslee, announced a sweeping moratorium on evictions within the state, but that only covers tenants through April 18th. The city of Seattle extended this moratorium through mid-May and enlarged it to cover all residential evictions, including those not rent-payment related.
For more info, see my article Will the Pandemic Bring Mass Evictions and Foreclosures in May?
What Can We Expect From The Economy?
The American Government has already acted to mitigate the damage. The Federal Reserve has slashed interest rates, Congress has passed an unprecedented bailout package to buoy-up both American citizens and their small and large businesses, and President Trump has announced HUD will postpone all evictions and foreclosures until May. These measures are helpful for the short-term, but over the longer term, we must push for our government to protect its vulnerable citizens. And we can work together with private organizations to help those in need.
For more info, see my article The Economic Fallout From the Corona Crisis And The Value Of A Dollar, as well as Chapter 9 from my book
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Long-time banker and broker, James M. Nelson, noticed rental rates sky-rocketing across America and sought to discover the cause. He recently published a book detailing his findings, Stealing Home: How Artificial Intelligence Is Hijacking The American Dream.
National Resources
See Report: The Gap in Affordable Rental Housing
The National Coalition for the Homeless
Tenant Rights laws for each state:
Washington State Resources
King County Housing Authority
Real Change
Seattle Housing Authority
Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness
Tenants Union of Washington
Tacoma Tenants Union
Seattle Displacement Coalition
California State Resources
Housing California
Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California
Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing