Press Release: 2021-08-10
Letter to Mayor Janey Calling for a Citywide Eviction Moratorium, sponsored by Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Letter to Mayor Janey Calling for a Citywide Eviction Moratorium, sponsored by Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity:
Honorable Mayor Janey:
We celebrate you as the first woman and the first person of color to be mayor of Boston. We believe you have the bold leadership to protect everyone in the city.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Black, Brown, and other marginalized people have been hospitalized and have died from COVID-19 at higher rates than whites.[i] Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Massachusetts’ state government COVID-19 policies have failed to adequately protect Black, Brown, and other marginalized people. These people have died disproportionately due to workplace exposures[ii], lack of adequate workplace protections, lack of access to healthcare and rapid testing for COVID-19[iii], lack of protective equipment, and lack of affordable housing to shelter-in-place. Despite some progress in distributing COVID-19 vaccines, the Commonwealth provided vaccines to the residents of the cities, towns, and neighborhoods most affected by COVID-19 only after massive pressure and only as an afterthought. BIPOC residents of these communities are still disproportionately less likely to be vaccinated.[iv]
During the COVID-19 pandemic and before the state and federal evictions moratoriums, over 3/4 (78%) of all evictions filed in Boston were in census tracts where the majority of residents are people of color.[v] Evictions have led to over 433,700 COVID-19 cases and 10,700 additional deaths nationally since the beginning of the pandemic.[vi]
Evictions throw the lives of children and families into chaos. According to a nationally representative study published by Harvard and Rice University researchers, evicted mothers are more likely to have depression and report worse health for themselves and their children.[vii] Disruptive life events like eviction and homelessness at a young age have lifelong health impacts for developing children.[viii] Before the pandemic, approximately 4,500 students in the Boston Public Schools —more than eight percent of its total student population—were homeless, and another 900 were at risk of homelessness.[ix] As families struggle to cope with the financial impacts of the pandemic, advocates estimate that approximately 100,000 households across the state are at risk of eviction.
When Governor Baker ended the statewide moratorium in October 2020, evictions quickly climbed to pre-pandemic levels because the CDC moratorium does not offer adequate protection.[x] Other cities such as Somerville, Cambridge and Malden have implemented such moratoriums with good effect. Boston has the opportunity to be a leader and set the tone for the Commonwealth by listening to its constituents [xi] and acting to promote racial, health, and economic justice during the pandemic and beyond.
The Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity, a local organization of physicians, scientists, lawyers, and community leaders, believes you will lead the people of Boston from a position of equity, justice, and love for every Bostonian. We urge you to take immediate action to save lives and protect the futures of children and families in the city of Boston by declaring a citywide eviction moratorium in Boston now.
Sincerely,
Regina C. Larocque, MD, MPH
Infectious Disease Specialist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
On behalf of the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Lara Jirmanus MD, MPH
Primary Care Physician, Revere
Fellow, Harvard FXB Center for Health & Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health
On behalf of the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Signatures:
Organizations:
Black Boston COVID Coalition
Boston Community Health Initiative
Boston Education Justice Alliance
Boston Liberation Health
Brazilian Women's Group
Center for Public Representation
City Life / Vida Urbana
Disability Policy Consortium
East Boston Community Soup Kitchen
Eastie Anti-Racism Community Coalition
Goldstein and Feuer, Attorneys-at-Law
Health Leads, Massachusetts
Housing = Health
JP Progressives
Justice For Housing, Inc
La Colaborativa
MA Jobs with Justice
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign & Massachusetts Union of the Homeless
Massachusetts Teachers Association
Matahari Women Workers' Center
National Lawyers Guild-Mass Chapter
New Beginnings
Project Right to Housing
SURJ Boston
We Got Us Empowerment Project
Individuals:
Andrea Campbell, District 4 City Councilor and Candidate for Mayor of Boston
Abdi Ali, Eastie Anti-Racism Community Coalition
Adam Haber, PhD
Adam Tapley, MD
Alan Meyers, MD, MPH
Alan Papscun
Alex Ropes
Alex Schwartz, J.D.
Alister Martin , MD MPP
Alycia Valente, MD, Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Amanda Dilger, MD
Amber Frank, MD
Amelia Geogr
Amir Mohareb, MD
Amy Grunder, JD, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Andee Krasner, MPH
Andrea Campbell, District 4 City Councilor and Candidate for Mayor of Boston
Andrea Gordon, MD, Cambridge Health Alliance
Anita Mathews, MD, MPH
Ann Fogler, MM Opera Performance, Project Right to Housing
Anna Nathanson, JD
Annemarie Guare, JD Candidate, Class of 2022
Antonia Diener, JD
April Valete, EdS
Ashley Patterson
Avik Chatterjee, MD, MPH
Benjamin Pitta
Betty Lewis
Bonnie Gorman RN, RN
Bram Wispelwey, MD, MPH
Brian Kroener, MD MPH
Bridgette Merriman, Medical Student, Boston University School of Medicine
Caren Solomon , MD, MPH
Carolyn Arnold, MD
Cathy Costanzo, JD, Center for Public Representation
Charles Griffin, DDiv
Chris Bischke, MS
Cindy Lu, JP Progressives
Claire Gosselin, MSLIS
Claire Paduano, MD
Colin Killick, MPP, Disability Policy Consortium
Cynthia Silva Parker, MCRP
Daniel Donadio, JD
Daniel Hast
Denise Zwahlen, PA, MPH
Denisse Rojas Marquez, MD
Dianne Wilkerson, JD, Black Boston COVID Coalition
Dinanyili Paulino, La Colaborativa
Eddie Strumfels, MSW, Boston Liberation Health
Efosa Enoma
Eileen Milien, We Got Us Empowerment Project
Ejiroghene Urhiafe
Eli Latto, LICSW
Elisa Tristan-Cheever, MD, MPH
Elise Gottesman, LICSW
Elizabeth Egan, MPH, LICSW
Elizabeth Rucker
Ellen Leigh, Ph.D.
Emily Achtenberg, MCP
Faria Afreen, MS
Galina Tan , MD
Gaurav Jashnani, EdM
Genevieve Preer, MD
Geri Medina
Gia Ciccolo, MPH
Haniya Syeda, MPH
Hanna Amanuel, Medical Student
Harvey Bidwell, MD, MPH
Heloisa Galvão, Brazilian Women's Group
Henrietta Robin Barnes, MD
Hilary Rasch, SURJ Boston
Irene Scharf, JD
Ivys Fernandez-Pastrana, JD
Jaclyn French, LICSW
Jacob Ostfeld
James Mulcare
Jeff Petrucelly
Jeffrey Feuer, JD, Goldstein and Feuer, Attorneys-at-Law
Jennifer K. Brody, MD, MPH, AAHIVM
Jennifer Valenzuela, LICSW, MPH, Health Leads, Massachusetts
Jerry Shen
Jessica Early, MD
Jim Recht, MD
Jindu Obiofuma, JD
Joan, Healthcare Worker
Johanna Greenberg, JD
John Short
Judy Burnette, Ed.M
Judy Wolberg, Retired CNM
Julia Koehler, MD
Julian Montijo, JD Candidate
Juliana Morris, MD
Kareem King, We Got Us Empowerment Project
Karen Kirchoff
Kari Kasad, B.S.
Karl Koessel
Karry Muzzey
Katherine Miller, MD, Windsor Street Health Center
Kendall Harcourt, MPA
Kishayla Fonfield, BA
Krista Magnuson
Kristina Mensik
L. Gordon
Lady Lawrence Carty, AB, Harvard; Housing = Health
Lana Habash, MD
Lara Jirmanus, MD, MPH
LaShyra Nolen, MS2
Laura McNulty, MPH, MSW
Leah Hastings, JD Candidate, Class of 2023
Lee Goldstein, JD
Leslie Credle, Justice For Housing, Inc
Liam Hofmeister
Lily Ann Ritter, JD
Lily Huang
Lisa Wolfe, PhD
Lizzeth Alarcon, MD
Louise Baxter, BA
Lydia Eccles
Maggie Sullivan, FNP-BC, DrPH, Connecticut River Valley Farmworker Health Program / Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
Mahlet Meshesha, LCSW, MPH, Boston Liberation Health
Mardge Cohen, MD
Mark Brodin
Mark Eisenberg, MD
Martha Ellen Katz, MD
Martha Sola-Visner, MD
Mary Ann Kopydlowski, RN
Mary Lu Mendonca, JD
Maya Milic-Strkalj, Boston Liberation Health
Mayte Forte, PhD Candidate
Melanie Brunt, MD, MPH
Melinda Drew, JD, RN
Merrie Najimy, Massachusetts Teachers Association
Michele Ewing, BS, Business; City Life/Vida Urbana
Mike Leyba, City Life/Vida Urbana
Mirret El-Hagrassy, MD
Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director, Matahari Women Workers' Center
Mugdha Mokashi, MPH
Myran Parker-Brass, CEO, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
Natalie Shafer
Nichole Penney, New Beginnings
Nicte Mejia, MD MPH
Noora Abdulkerim
Pamela Ferrier
Paul Johnson
Philip Lederer, MD
Pierre-Louis, Laetitia, We Got Us Empowerment Project
Rachel Tine
Radhika Jain, MD
Rebecca Amdemariam, JD
Rebecca Hillel, PsyD
Rebecca Nuernberger, MSN
Regina LaRocque, MD, MPH.
Riley Smith
Rohini Rau-Murthy, MD
Rose Kamsler, MSW
Ruby James Saucer
Ruby Reyes, Executive Director, Boston Education Justice Alliance (BEJA)
Sandra Nijjar, Bachelor in Psychology-Founder and Director of EBCSK, East Boston Community Soup Kitchen
Sara Goldstein-Weiss
Sarah Kalinowski
Sarah Koolsbergen, Housing = Health
Sarah Morris, MS2, Boston University School of Medicine
Sarah Parker, JD
Sarah Primeau, MSW, MPH, Health Leads, Massachusetts
Sarah Swettberg, Ed.M, FNP-BC
Savina Martin, MS, DHL (honoris causa), Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign & Massachusetts Union of the Homeless
Sharissa Mendez, City Life/Vida Urbana
Stephanie Yesner, RN
Sudhakar Nuti, MD, MSc
Sunny Kung, MD
Susan Massad
Tania Erlij, MSW
Taylor Extavour, We Got Us Empowerment Project
Tia Tucker, MD
Urszula Masny-Latos, National Lawyers Guild, Mass Chapter
Vanessa Urhiafe, MPH
Vanpat Pensuwan, MD
Vikas Gampa
WaWa Bell
William Nicholson, Medical Student
Yessenia Prodero, Masters, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
Zoe Silver, LCSW, CHA
References
[i] Karaca-Mandic P, Georgiou A, Sen S. Assessment of COVID-19 Hospitalizations by Race/Ethnicity in 12 States. JAMA Intern Med.2021;181(1):131–134. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.3857
[ii] Hawkins, D, Davis, L, Kriebel, D. COVID‐19 deaths by occupation, Massachusetts, March 1–July 31, 2020. Am J Ind Med. 2021; 64: 238– 244. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23227
[iii] Dryden-Peterson S, Velásquez GE, Stopka TJ, Davey S, Lockman S, Ojikutu BO. Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Massachusetts During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Network Open. 2021;4(2):e2037067. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37067
[iv]Calef A, Schuster L, Despite progress, vaccination gaps by race and town remain. Boston Indicators. April 9, 2021. Accessed online at https://www.bostonindicators.org/reports/report-website-pages/covid_indicators-x2/2021/april/vaccinations
[v] Robinson D, Steil J, Cafferky P. Evictions in Boston: The Disproportionate Effects of Forced Moves on Communities of Color. City Life. June 2020. Accessed online at: https://www.bostonevictions.org/
[vi] Leifheit, Kathryn M. and Linton, Sabriya L. and Raifman, Julia and Schwartz, Gabriel and Benfer, Emily and Zimmerman, Frederick J and Pollack, Craig, Expiring Eviction Moratoriums and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality (November 30, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3739576 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3739576
[vii] Matthew Desmond, Rachel Tolbert Kimbro, Eviction's Fallout: Housing, Hardship, and Health, Social Forces, Volume 94, Issue 1, September 2015, Pages 295–324, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sov044
[viii] Dickrell S. “Child homelessness can have long-term consequences.” SC Times. June 4, 2016. Accessed online at:
[ix] Smith S. Reducing Homelessness Among Boston Public School Students. Boston College of Social Work University Communications. May 2020. Accessed online at https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/nation-world-society/social-work/bcssw-united-way-partnership.html.
[x] Clark C, Hopper T, Munson L. One month after the moratorium, evictions on the rise. Boston Indicators. November 23, 2020. Accessed online at: https://www.bostonindicators.org/reports/report-website-pages/covid_indicators-x2/2020/november/rising-evictions