This is a reworking of an already existing petition in another city but it seems fitting enough for Columbia and anywhere else. I myself have been affected by this pandemic and I believe it is in the interest of many people for this to take in affect. 

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To the city of Columbia and Boone county: 

We the undersigned residents are gripped by the COVID-19 crisis, with jobs sending people home, sick time-limited or non-existent and no plan for what the future brings.

Columbia and the surrounding areas are faced with an extreme crisis - what has been labeled a state of emergency.  We believe it is our common good to create an area-wide rent freeze now, not later, not next month, but now. 

Without work, without sick days, many of us will not be able to afford our rents and mortgages come April 1st.  We will not have this money at some later date. We are hard-working people who barely have enough to pay one month’s rent at a time.

We demand therefore that all Columbia and Boone county area rents and mortgages be frozen immediately until the COVID-19 crisis passes until there are tests that show this is no longer a threat posed to all of our communities. 

Please see these links for local information

Boone County Health Services for countywide updates: https://www.como.gov/Coronavirus/
Missouri Health Authority for statewide updates: https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/
Centers for Disease Control for U.S. updates: www.cdc.gov/covid19
Community members can call 2-1-1 for general information and questions about COVID-19.