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WHEREAS, as of April 13, 2020, there have been more than 24,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Pennsylvania; and
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WHEREAS, in Allegheny County, as of the same date, there have been more than 870 cases and 130 hospitalizations, with a significant portion of those cases occurring in the City of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, measures such as social distancing and self-isolating help to curb the spread of the highly-communicable virus and have seen widespread adoption, enforcement, and compliance throughout Pennsylvania, including on the parts of governments, businesses, and individuals; and
WHEREAS, more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians have filed for unemployment compensation between March 15, 2020 and April 12, 2020 due to businesses shutting down, cutting service, or ceasing operations, producing severe economic hardship of a rare scale and contributing to preexisting economic inequality and often debilitating financial constraints of working families and those separated from employment; and
WHEREAS, approximately 55% of Pittsburghers rent their homes, with a similar percentage of all housing units renter-occupied as opposed to owner-occupied in the City, and, according to a 2019 meta-analysis by Freddie Mac, 48% of all renters in Pittsburgh are cost-burdened, or dedicating 30% or more of their income to housing expenses, while 40% of total renters could be classified as severely cost-burdened, or putting more than 50% of their income toward housing-related costs; and
WHEREAS, on March 18, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an order temporarily halting evictions and foreclosures through its declaration of a judicial emergency, and subsequently extended that emergency declaration and related court closures to April 30, 2020; and
WHEREAS, absent any guidance or policy prescription from state or federal authorities, renters are without protections against practices such as cumulative collections after the COVID-19 pandemic, late fees, or ot...
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