Month: August 2020

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Here’s how we stop the coming eviction and foreclosure tsunami

  By Housing, Published Op-Eds

Originally published at the PA Capital-Star on August 28, 2020 Pennsylvania is now facing a housing catastrophe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf told legislative leaders that he does not have the authority to extend the moratorium on evictions and foreclosure beyond the August 31 deadline. This decision sets the state on the path of a humanitarian and economic disaster. As the governor’s letter to state lawmakers points out, the General Assembly can, and must, take action to prevent that disaster from coming to pass. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 9.5 percent in the second quarter of the year, or 32.9 percent, on an annual basis. The damage in Pennsylvania has been equally severe. The pandemic has left many Pennsylvanians short of the funds needed to pay their rent. But they have not been subject to eviction because… Continue reading

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Why Pennsylvania Needs a State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

  By Economic Justice, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Taxes, Policy reports

By Diana Polson and Marc Stier Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. If one thing has become clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that workers who do essential things like providing care for the sick, stocking shelves at grocery stores, and cleaning facilities to keep our buildings clean and safe are undervalued in our society. Despite their hard work, many Pennsylvanians earn such low wages that it remains difficult to pay for rent, food, childcare, transportation, and other necessities. We must raise wages and strengthen worker protections for low- and middle-income workers. In addition, there is another easy step Pennsylvania can take to support low-wage workers. That is a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which has been effective at reducing poverty in more than half the states across the country.  Continue reading