COVID-19 and the housing crisis

Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast

As the novel coronavirus pandemic forces millions of Californians to adjust to a new reality, the state’s “housing crisis” already means something different than it did just two weeks ago. On this episode, Matt and Liam discuss how the state's housing woes are complicating California's response to the virus, from homelessness to evictions. First, an Avocado of the Fortnight takes us to the front lines of the tenant revolution: casual dining restaurant chains (6:00). Then a discussion of how Gov. Newsom is trying to house the more than 108,000 Californians without shelter in the middle of a pandemic (9:00). Then a breakdown of what state and local governments are and aren't doing to prevent renters from being evicted (23:00). Finally, some big picture takes on what happens to the housing debate if we enter a prolonged recession (33:00). NOTE: This podcast was recorded Thursday, March 26, one day before Gov. Newsom issued a new executive order on evictions. While the administration has characterized the executive order as an "eviction moratorium", many tenant groups and Democratic lawmakers have criticized it for not doing enough to protect renters. More information on the new executive order: https://www.kqed.org/news/11809328/newsoms-eviction-moratorium-useless-misleading-tenants-groups-say