Commentary: Fresno mother of five fears being evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic

A Fresno tenant is facing eviction. What is the moral responsibility of the city of Fresno during this crisis? Here are essays of a mother trying to protect her children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a pastor and community activist lifting the moral lessons society must heed:

A mother’s plight

I am a Fresno resident who is affected by COVID-19. We are a family of seven with a newborn, and children ages 8, 6, 4, and 2. I feel stressed, anxious, and scared for my family. I am being forced to move out by my landlord for no reason, and we have no place to go.

I continue to try and pay my rent, but this month our rent was refused. I am looking for places tirelessly, but I’ve had no luck. We are living with everything in boxes because we are worried we will be forced out at any moment.

I am thankful for the temporary protections because without them we would already be in the streets, but we are still scared. I have lived in the streets with my kids before, and it is not easy. I should not be asked to violate the shelter-in-place orders and the CDC guidelines and put my children at risk. No parent should.

I should not be forced to choose between my housing and my children’s health and safety just because I am a renter. I am so busy worrying about providing a safe home for my family that I have not been able to cherish my newborn son the way a mother should be able to.

I am not asking for a lot. I am just asking for more time, more time for everything to settle and we’re stable enough to find a home, a home where my family can feel comfortable and secure.

— Jessica Ramirez, of Fresno

Landlords helping renters

What is the purpose of the government? To intervene and protect the rights and dignity of those who are the most vulnerable in our society. Does this planet belong only to the rich? No, it belongs to everyone. We all have a human right to live on this planet and to live in safe homes with our families. But, we live in a capitalistic system where some people are always looking for the benefit of usury. The rules of a capitalist system cannot apply in times of crisis.

This is an opportunity for landlords to give back to the people who have helped them to build some of their wealth, the people who helped them create the means that they have, by being in solidarity with their renters. If a landlord tries to evict someone during a major public health crisis, government leaders have a responsibility to denounce these actions.

What kind of example are we giving to children when we say that once you own a property, you can treat people without compassion? What kind of example would our government set if they allowed landlords to force people from their homes, to put usury over human dignity, especially in the face of a major crisis?

This is a call on the conscience of all landlords to be in solidarity with renters. This is also a call on the conscience of local leaders to provide relief, which is not only for renters but is for landowners, too. We call on Fresno leaders to act on their faith at this very moment and to be in solidarity with the most vulnerable residents in the city.

— Rev. Jose Alexander Gaitan Montes, pastor, St. Anthony Mary Claret Church

Support grant program

We urge Mayor Lee Brand and Fresno City Council members to strengthen Fresno’s emergency eviction ordinance and to fund the COVID-19 consumer grant program that families can use for rent, medical expenses, child care, and more. You have the power to act now. Funding is available from CDBG and other federal emergency stimulus funds and must be allocated to protect our most vulnerable communities now!

We ask Fresnans to call their City Council member and the mayor and urge them to fund the consumer grant program and pass stronger protections for vulnerable tenants and “mom and pop” landlords. Jessica’s story reflects the hardship of many vulnerable residents who also need a voice. The city must hear these calls and put the necessary protections in place to make sure that all residents are able to live their lives with less anxiety knowing that they will not be forced out of their homes.

— Karla Arana is a community organizer with Faith in the Valley.