This week on The Word on Long Beach we explore the impacts of COVID-19 on our community, businesses, and outlook.

:00 While most of us are excited about getting back outside and doing the things we love, there are still some long-standing issues that are not easily resolved. One of those is the impact the pandemic has on renters and property owners. As businesses closed, some people were furloughed while others lost their jobs completely. No job of course means no ability to pay rent. As thousands of people are returning to work, there is still a mountain of debt that must be addressed.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on June 22 extended an eviction moratorium through the end of September, and will gradually phase out tenant protections. For now, the extension will continue to prohibit evictions based on non-payment of rent due to financial hardship related to COVID-19.

This week, Natasha Schulteis, a property owner here in Long Beach, joins us to give a perspective from the side of a property manager.

She owns or co-owns more than a half dozen rental properties, and helps manage a bigger 20-unit property. During our Zoom call, she emphasized that communication between property owners and landlords is essential because the pandemic really did affect both sides.

19:45 – Imagine leaving a six-figure income to start your own business and then, the bottom falls out thanks to the pandemic. Do you go back to your old job or, do you weather the storm and try to figure it out? Shelley Williams decided to weather it out. Her art studio is called Craft and Light Creative art studio, and her pandemic survival idea came from those who were not ready to give up on what they were learning at the studio

27:45 The Word on Long Beach host and Reporter Sebastian Echeverry talk about some of the resistance people in the Black and Latino community have regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

https://soundcloud.com/thewordlb/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-our-homes-businesses-and-outlook