Diane Buchanan lives with her daughter and her grandson in an apartment in Philadelphia. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, she recently told a committee of the Philadelphia City Council, her daughter lost her job as a hairdresser, leaving Buchanan to carry more of the burden of rent and bills. Schools closed, and her grandson started learning from home. The refrigerator stopped working, and the landlord “slow-walked” the repairs for months, she said. She started thinking she might get evicted over the dispute with the landlord. She thought she might be able to move in with her son, but he had a one-bedroom apartment — a dangerous situation during a pandemic. She also might be able to move to California and live with her brother, but she didn’t want to rely on him and lose her independence. Then she got a text message from a housing counselor, saying she was scheduled for a pre-eviction mediation with her landlord.