Economy

'Cancel the Rent' Could Be Just the Beginning

A campaign dubbed Our Homes, Our Health is pressuring lawmakers to suspend rent and mortgage payments nationwide during the coronavirus crisis.
With May rent day looming, the movement to suspend rent and mortgage payments is getting bigger, and getting organized.Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Laura Rodriguez starts each day with a prayer and hopes that her kids don’t see the anxiety that she says she is struggling to control.

Rodriguez lives in Aurora, Colorado, where six of her seven children are hunkered down with her, sheltering in place. Her husband runs the family’s small business: He works as a painter, usually as a subcontractor. A company owes him payment for some recent jobs, but the office is closed, so the check isn’t coming — and so far, neither is any federal aid. Bill collectors are calling. The stress is mounting.