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WHEREAS, housing is a human right and it is axiomatic that economic security is fundamental to public health, and that we as a society are only as healthy as those most vulnerable, least economically secure, and least covered by our social services; and
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WHEREAS, nearly 400,000 Pennsylvanians were behind on rent as of August 2020, and nearly 20,000 Pittsburgh renter households have spent more than half of their income on rent in 2020; and
WHEREAS, on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, during a one-day lapse in eviction moratorium coverage, 181 eviction claims were filed in Allegheny County, roughly three times the amount of filings on a typical day before the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Research by University of Pennsylvania associate professor Dr. Michael Z. Levy models that for every 60 evictions, the United States will experience one additional death due to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, Black families in Pittsburgh are more likely to be renters, and are disproportionately impacted by the financial and health impacts of the COVID-19 virus; and
WHEREAS, housing instability negatively impacts children's physical and emotional wellbeing, and Pittsburgh Public Schools are currently educating 23,000 children remotely, and a stable home is essential for children's educational success; and
WHEREAS, it is accordingly clear that we must do all we can to keep people secure enough to take care of themselves, practice social distancing, have a location in which to shelter and store supplies, and endure a quarantine or treatment if required; and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization ("WHO") has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, defined as the worldwide spread of a new virus for which most people do not have immunity; and
WHEREAS, as of November 27, 2020, Allegheny County has reported 26,821 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 498 deaths; and
WHEREAS, on November 18, 2020, the Allegheny County Health Department issued recommendations intended to reduce the i...
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