John Oliver rails against another 'COVID-related catastrophe,' the looming evictions crisis


The coronavirus pandemic is bad enough on its own, but also "we have a huge COVID-related catastrophe that's actually just around the corner," John Oliver said on Sunday's Last Week Tonight. "As if things weren't bad enough, in the middle of a pandemic, we may be about to see evictions on the rise," a "shocking" but "completely foreseeable" crisis given the hit to jobs and incomes as work stopped. While state and federal economic measures and moratoriums "undoubtedly helped hold back the tide, those mechanisms are now starting to run out or expire, and if we do nothing, experts are predicting horrific outcomes," he said, "with millions of people left vulnerable" to homelessness.
Even during the moratoriums, landlords were filing papers to evict tenants at the first possible chance, and some courts have held hearings online — sometimes "throwing people out of their house via Zoom, a platform you're only using because it's not safe for people to leave their homes," Oliver said. "The fact is, we're about to go out of our way to throw people out of their homes at the worst possible time, and even in normal times evictions are incredibly damaging, with long-term effects."
"So tonight, with rent due in just three days, I thought it might be a good time to talk about evictions," he said. "And let's start with the fact that the lack of affordable housing is yet another systemic problem that the coronavirus has thrown into harsh relief." About a million households are evicted each year, with Black families particularly hard-hit, and it shouldn't be left to the kindness of landlords to prevent the spike we're about to see. The House approved $100 billion in rent assistance back in May, but Senate Republicans and the White House have not yet touched the bill — or proposed an alternative.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It's important to remember, everyone is in this crisis together right now, and this isn't just a rainy day — it's the great flood," Oliver said. "Everyone deserves the basic stability of shelter, and if you are in a position where you've begun to despise the house that you've been shut inside for the past three and a half months, it is worth remembering, the only thing worse than knowing you're going to spend another day stuck under the same roof is not knowing that." Watch below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Road trip: New England’s maple syrup season
Feature New England is serving up maple syrup in delicious and unexpected ways
By The Week US Published
-
Music Reviews: Mdou Moctar, Panda Bear, and Tate McRae
Feature “Tears of Injustice,” “Sinister Grift,” and “So Close to What”
By The Week US Published
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?
Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published