Editorial: Kelly’s order good for hurting Kansans

In some areas, we’re seeing an awakening across the U.S. We’ll let you decide if that’s a good or a bad thing.

While the Sunflower State is in the process of awakening, many people are still hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic. If nothing was done some might have even lost their homes.

Federal relief packages are being discussed in Washington, but that doesn’t help the thousands of Kansans who could have potentially lost their home any day now.

Something needed to be done.

So Gov. Laura Kelly did exactly that.

On Monday, Andrew Bahl reported she announced an executive order halting evictions and foreclosures in the state. This isn’t a carte blanche for renters and homeowners. The caveat here is that the moratorium only applies to people suffering from pandemic-related hardships. A tenant or homeowner would need to demonstrate that their failure to pay was tied to a financial hardship related to COVID-19.

This one will last for two weeks, but if the U.S. Senate doesn’t return in that time to pass a more sweeping halt on evictions and foreclosures, Kelly said, she will issue another order.

“No Kansan should be kicked out of their home during their pandemic,” she said at a Statehouse news conference. “That’s just wrong.”

We think this was the right move for the governor to take and support it fully.

She’s come under fire recently for other pandemic-related executive orders — so much so that the state Legislature gave counties the authority to opt out of them if they desired.

Nevertheless, her latest executive order was the right move to make. The order shows humanity at a time when so many of us need it the most. We strongly hope counties choose to honor it. Nobody deserves to lose their home because of a situation beyond their control.

To the counties who might consider opting out, we urge you not to use people’s pandemic hardships to score political points. That seems immoral.

Kelly also seems to understand that landlords are hurting from this situation too and has a plan for that as well. Though in its early stages, she suggested it could be run through the Office of Recovery like other COVID-19-related relief initiatives.

“We really do understand. Some of them have gone a long time without being able to collect rent,” she said. “They’ve got expenses, too, so we want to figure out a way to support them while they support other Kansans.”

We hope she finds a way to help them out as well.

Thank you, Gov. Kelly, for keeping Kansans in their homes.