Dramatic action needed to limit COVID-19 impacts to vulnerable populations

COVID-19 is not *going to* dramatically alter the very core of our social fabric: it already has. Millions are out of work. Those who were already living on the edge of crippling poverty have fallen off the cliff. The economy is essentially frozen and while Trump and the Republicans in Congress worry about big business, huge segments of our population are wondering how they will get their next meal.

We must act now.

New York City and State have made some great first steps that should be celebrated:

• While kids are out of school, free breakfast and lunch is still being provided and families without computers and/or internet have access to both for free
• The State of New York has waived mortgage payments for 90 days based on financial hardship
• The State has waived the 7-day waiting period for qualifying for unemployment insurance
• Commercial and residential evictions are suspended

But much more needs to be done. Gig economy workers and those who were working in the hospitality industry have been particularly hard hit. Some critical steps we should take immediately include:

• Immediate cash payments of $1000/month to all Americans — a version of Universal Basic Income to get us through this rough patch
• Guaranteed paid sick leave for employees who are affected by the virus
• Subsidized childcare for those frontline workers who are critical during this time
• Suspend restrictions on WIC-labeled food so that a WIC family doesn’t leave a store empty handed just because of empty shelves
• Grants to organizations like Citymeals on Wheels and others that are providing home-delivered meals and food directly to some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers
• Suspend the state sales tax for at least six months
• Reduce the state business income tax by half for 2020
• Repeal the city’s commercial rent tax on small businesses (something that frankly should have been done already)
• Place a moratorium on non-health related business violations and fines
• Interest-free loans to small businesses to keep them afloat
• Temporary abatement for commercial rents
• Property tax relief for small landlords whose commercial tenants are not paying rent
• Put homeless individuals into hotels (which are currently mostly empty) to avoid overcrowding in shelters where the virus could spread rapidly
• Release some incarcerated individuals to prevent the spread of the virus

I will continue to advocate for policies like these and more to ensure that we make it through this crisis with as little negative impact as possible.

It has become more apparent than ever how important it is to have strong and competent leadership. Hopefully we will not face another crisis like this any time soon, but the underlying issues in our economy will remain and must be addressed.