Eviction#
Since March, the federal, state, and local versions of an eviction moratorium have kept thousands in their homes. While typically there are some 20,000 eviction cases filed every year, as of December 14, only about 6,600 eviction cases have been filed against Chicago residential and commercial tenants—and 65 percent of those cases were initiated before the governor issued his first moratorium.
I’ve been dropping into seminars and discussions hosted by local landlord groups. The tone is always one of resigned frustration about the moratorium, but when the conversation turns to bottom lines, the landlords seem to be doing alright. The Neighborhood Building Owner’s Alliance recently reported that 92 percent of landlords collected half or more of all the rent due in September. Forty-six percent of them said they had collected upward of 95 percent of rents. At public hearings landlords’ spokespeople certainly conjure an idea of struggling “housing providers,” but a shrinking profit margin isn’t the same as being in the red.
That’s why people protest. Because when we don’t, the city forgets.
Violence#
Few things brought anti-trans rhetoric, legislation, and violence to the fore this year more than the words of a children’s author. J.K. Rowling published numerous writings targeting trans people—trans women and children in particular. The same woman who created a world where wizards and witches can transform into beetles, dogs, and cats, rejects the idea that, for some, gender and sex are not aligned.
Despite this year’s historic uprisings for social justice and against racism and police brutality, and seemingly renewed support for marginalized communities, 2020 has seen staggering violence against the transgender community, particularly Black and Brown transgender women. At least 40 transgender or gender-nonconforming people have been murdered, a sobering statistic the Human Rights Campaign reports is the highest number it has tracked since 2013—but still a low estimate considering the myriad of barriers to knowing the actual number.
Therapists and other wellness professionals adapted to virtual practices, many removing the barrier of access by offering discounted or free services when possible. I particularly enjoyed a change of scenery for my weekly video sessions. There’s something cathartic about having an emotional breakdown in front of my therapist in my car and then driving away, leaving some of my demons behind in the Dollar Tree parking lot. Even being trapped at home wasn’t so bad. New habits like cooking for myself and going on walks have become just as stabilizing as my therapy sessions, practices that I had convinced myself I never had time for in the before times.
