April is National Fair Housing Month, and the need for affordable housing has been made even more urgent by the COVID-19 crisis.
Prior to the pandemic, nearly half of all Californians were rent-burdened, spending more than one third of their income on rent and adding strain and anxiety to lives already impacted by economic insecurity. Women are particularly burdened because they endure multiple types of discrimination throughout their lives, including the gender wage gap which can limit financial resources and make it challenging for victims of domestic violence to leave their abuser.
This pandemic has amplified the financial hardships many people face on a daily basis. Even more women and their families are now just one unexpected expense away from not being able to afford their rent or mortgage. The loss of a job can be a devastating financial blow in the best of times, and millions of people are now grappling with unemployment, childcare needs, and health concerns simultaneously.
As the impact of coronavirus ripples through our community and our economy, it’s helpful to know that new laws and measures have been enacted in California to temporarily allow renters to stay in their homes. This week, California’s Judicial Council adopted an emergency court rule that effectively halts evictions and foreclosures for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. To learn more about local and statewide resources and housing accommodations that have been passed since the pandemic started, click here.
CWLC hosts a monthly housing clinic to offer free legal support to low-income renters. Although we have postponed our in-person trainings, we are recording a webinar on gender discrimination and housing, including updates related to COVID-19, which will be shared via email and available on our website on April 30th.
CWLC prioritizes the health, safety, and economic independence of women and their families. These priorities cannot be realized without access to safe and affordable housing, a fact that is made more evident during a crisis like this.
We will continue to update our website with resources related to housing needs, including specific information for domestic violence survivors. If we can be of assistance, please call us at (323) 951-1041 or email cwlc@cwlc.org.