Back-rent forgiveness is crucial for Washington state during this pandemic. That is the reason my group, Radical Women, was able to collect 330 signatures supporting complete rent forgiveness that were sent off to legislators in Olympia.
As a renter, I know safe housing is not a cheap commodity. There will be an exodus of desperate workers scrambling to survive if rents are not written off in the budget. Washingtonians can begin on a clean slate after the pandemic with rental-debt forgiveness. It is heartbreaking to buy from stores where I know the workers are renting and afraid of back rents being due. This impacts women and children, especially women of color, the most. It is a racial-justice issue, too.
We can create a climate change of relief when we know the people in our community we interact with and their families are not afraid of losing their homes because of past due rent.
Meagan Murphy, Seattle
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