If landlords also get relief, somehow, then they can absorb not getting as much rent as before and cut down on the number of evictions. Either cut property taxes or prevent seizing property for un-paid taxes. But then the cities and schools suffer. Cut insurance rates, allow deferred payment, or prevent cancellation of policies. Provide tax deductions for repairs and maintenance. All of this requires federal money and leadership. We don’t really have either. And any government stimulus for landlords will wind up going to the big corporate landlords and not the mom and pop that decided to rent their old house instead of selling it. My grandparents, during the depression, moved into the basement and rented out the upper floors of their home so they could pay the mortgage.

There are a lot of threads in the economic sweater. Pull on one and the whole thing can fall apart.

But their landlords provide a useful service, they give people a place to live. They are not all faceless corporate empires, many of them are just plain, middle-class folks, even mom-and-pop operations. They have bills and expenses too, and they have invested their own labor and capital into providing this service. Most have debts of their own and face bankruptcy. This crisis is not their fault, it is unfair that they should be penalized for it.

So what are we to do? Sometimes, when in the jungle, the intrepid explorer has to chop off his own arm to avoid dying from the bite of a poisonous snake. Hard choices have to made, with little more guidance than “the greatest good for the greatest number”.

Tenants outnumber landlords, and as a rule, they have much less in the way of financial resources. I say ban the evictions. Sure, renters knew they would be responsible for paying the rent, but landlords also are responsible for paying their bills, too.

C’mon. It can’t be any worse than taking a mother’s son and sending him off to die in war. Nobody told you life was supposed to be fair.