A heroic Wisconsin landlord is helping his neighbors and tenants in these tough times.
This week, John Zutz left a letter on his tenants’ doorsteps, alerting them that for the month of April 2020, their rent would only be $100.
The letter read: “To my tenants, I’ve been watching how people are reacting to this virus thing. It appears the whole country is shutting down. Not exactly grinding to a halt but contracting significantly for the next two weeks, maybe more. It occurred to me my tenants might be affected — missing work or even becoming infected, putting you in a financial bind.
“I’m living on a fixed income (doesn’t go up much, but doesn’t go down, either). My mortgage is paid and my bills are covered, so I’ve decided to help with the neighborhood’s recovery. For the Month of April, 2020, your rent will be $100.
“If you are struggling financially this will give you some relief. If, however, you have the means, I suggest you use this windfall to buy food or services in Riverwest. Get a carryout meal from one of our great restaurants (and leave a nice tip). Spend a few bucks at the hardware store. Get some groceries, if you can.
“Consumers sitting on their wallets for a few days crashed the stock market. Our economy only works if that cash is circulating. We all need to contribute a bit to climb back to normal. I hope you’ll do your share.”
“I see what’s happening inside the world, in the country, and I realize there’s going to be a lot of people out of work, and they need help,” Zutz told local NBC affiliate WISN. “I’m not sure if [my tenants] need it or not. That’s the point. They may not need it, but I encourage them, if they don’t need it, to spend the money in the neighborhood.”
A Zutz tenant, Cai Logan, who said he has lost about 50% of his income because of the coronavirus pandemic, told the station, “This is affecting everyone, and this is affecting me financially. I felt relieved, and I also felt grateful on a community level because [Zutz’s] intention was to free up some money to invest back in the neighborhood during a time of economic downturn.”