...just pointing out that many tenants seem to think that landlords aren't in exactly the same situation they are in. I think many small landlords need help from the government right now too, but I don't hear this discussed much.

Landlords provide a service - they provide housing to people who are unable or unwilling to get a mortgage and purchase a home. Without landlords, where would these people live? Most landlords aren't evil people, and I think it's short-sighted to villify them, because the fewer landlords there are, the worse off tenants will be. Competition is a good thing. If you drive off the "little guy" landlords by making the investment risk too great, then you really will be left with only rich real estate moguls who have the best lawyers to process evictions quickly.

Like you, I have empathy for people who have lost their income and are faced with incredibly difficult choices about which expenses to pay and which to get behind on. However, I believe there are landlords who are in that very same situation that their tenants may be in. I'd just like to see the discussion about evictions look at both sides objectively.