#RentFreeze2020 trends nationwide as citizens demand government prevent coronavirus evictions

On Thursday, the hashtag #RentFreeze2020 picked up steam nationwide as Americans called on lawmakers to impose a moratorium on evictions for as long as much of the country is locked out of their jobs and unable to pay rent. (Some places, like New York City, have already declared a moratorium on eviction proceedings, but rent payments themselves are at least nominally still assessed during the crisis).

Some social media commenters noted that the stimulus, which issues $1,200 payments to tens of millions of Americans, does not account for the high cost of living in metropolitan areas like New York City and San Francisco, where rent on even a small apartment can be several times that. New Yorkers in particular noted that the state has already frozen mortgage payments, so freezing rent is only fair.