BOSTON (WHDH) - Dozens of people gathered in Boston on Thursday morning for a rally aimed at preventing mass evictions across Massachusetts amid the coronavirus crisis.
Demonstrators rallied outside the Boston Housing Court to urge lawmakers to pass the Guaranteed Housing Stability bill, which would stabilize renters, small landlords, and homeowners for a year.
“This isn’t right, people need homes,” demonstrator Elise Orchard said. “I don’t want to die! I deserve to live!”
The protest comes as more than 100,000 residents stress about evictions filings after the state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium expired on Oct. 17.
The moratorium was initially put into place to protect renters during the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic.
“I’m willing to stand here and block the housing court and put my body on the line,” rally organizer Alex Ponte-Capellan said.
Demonstrators say Gov. Charlie Baker’s $171 million plan to expand rental assistance is simply not enough to prevent mass evictions, calling it “dangerously inadequate.”
“Right now, eviction equals death,” another demonstrator added.
The rally came to end shortly before noon but demonstrators promised to continue to pressure lawmakers in the coming days.
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