Michael Che Pays Rent For 160 NYC Residents In Honor Of Grandmother!

TheRoot.com., By J’na Jefferson, Posed May 5th 2020

While Saturday Night Live head writer and “Weekend Update” host Michael Che, unfortunately, lost his grandmother last week to COVID-19, he’s working to make the lives of others impacted by the crisis a bit easier.

The comedian wrote in a note sent to Instagram that “in the spirit and memory of his late grandmother,” he would be paying one month’s rent for all 160 residents living in the building that she lived in, which is classified as a New York City Housing Authority complex. According to its website, the NYCHA aims “to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services.”

“It’s crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many new yorkers who can’t even work,” he wrote in his statement. “I know that’s just a drop in the bucket. So I really hope the city has a better plan for debut forgiveness for all the people in public housing, AT THE VERY LEAST.”

He ends his note by writing “[NYC Mayor Bill] DeBlasio! [New York Governor Andrew] Cuomo! [Uber rich mogul and successful COVID-19 donator] Diddy! Let’s fix this! Page me!”

On SNL’s “Live From Home” episode, which aired Saturday, April 11, Che signed off on “Weekend Update” by referring to himself as “Martha’s grandbaby,” and said that she loved the segment bit where he and co-host Colin Jost would swap jokes. After getting Jost to read an offensive joke, he laughed and said his grandmother didn’t watch SNL, but the laugh was needed, and “made him feel better.”