SEATTLE (September 21, 2021) - As federal funds for rental assistance continue to be distributed, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today that she is extending the moratoriums for residential and commercial evictions through January 15, 2022 through Executive Order 2021-07. Questions about the moratorium ending? In an email, Inslee spokesperson Tara Lee wrote that The programs need to be operational so that a tenant or landlord could at least submit an application for assistance or request to participate in the resolution process.. The extended moratorium, which bans evictions within the city only for nonpayment of rent and late fees, will expire whenever Gov. Landlords cant just tell you to get out and change the locks on your doors. Download: Adobe PDF. Over 44,000 have children under 18 in the household. Find information about your rights and how the eviction process works atwashingtonlawhelp.org. After obtaining a court order to evict a tenant,a landlord wishing to pursue an eviction should fill out, Formulario de informacin de desahucio obligatorio del sheriff, Additionally, please provide our office with all items listed, Oficina del sheriff del condado de King Renting in Seattle Helpline: (206) 684-5700, Moving Out and Evictions Learn about what to do when giving or receiving notice to move: Renters | Landlords. The extension drew swift criticism from some Republican state lawmakers, who have protested the eviction bans impact on landlords and, more broadly, the governors use of sweeping emergency powers. The Housing Justice Project estimates 5,000 to 7,000 households could be left behind when funding runs out. Chase Gallagher, who is communication director for the King County Executive, said another $22 million would go toward community-based organizations doing outreach and processing applications. The site closed this month, leaving her looking for full-time work again, she said. Deciding which notice to provide would require the advice of an Attorney, Legal Counsel or Kings County Legal Aid. Address: 21/30-Day Notice to Quit ( Non-Compliance) - If a tenant has . . 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA, 7th Floor, Seattle, WA, 98104 The Eastside Legal Assistance Program can also provide legal help to tenants. For a family of four, 50% of the median is $57,850 per year currently. Gov. 401 5th Ave., Suite 500 If your bridge protections are lifted on November 1st our communities will experience an increase in unsheltered homelessness and the millions in unexpended rental assistance funds will not be able to provide the safety-net that we all banked on.Protections under the bridge proclamation and your previous eviction moratorium have played a massive role in preventing homelessness. By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional membership emails from Crosscut/Cascade Public Media. If the County continues to distribute ~$6M per week, they still have 15 weeks before that money is out the door. Jay Inslee says he won't run for a fourth term, ArtSEA: Remembering singular Seattle artist Alfredo Arregun, King County prosecutors office accused of self-dealing promotion, Mossback's Northwest: After clearing forests, settlers were stumped, Seattle's eviction moratorium ended, but some protections remain, Community colleges are failing their students in WA, nationwide, WA Senate passes "missing middle" bill to increase housing density, Sign up for the Crosscut Weekly newsletter, WA transgender youth bill targeted in national culture war, With assault weapons ban, Washington enters a new era of gun reform, The U.S. Supreme Court is losing the trust of WA voters, poll says, ArtSEA: Environmental art to celebrate Earth Day in Seattle, Seattle singers survive Sweeney Todd through razor-sharp vocals, The Seattle Kraken made the Stanley Cup playoffs. State officials estimate tenants have accumulated rent debt of about $110 million a month, or roughly $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion total. Read the Mayor's eviction moratorium announcement. Funds are running out with 11,245 households still assigned to a provider and 10,943 applications that have pre-registered and are waiting for assistance. The resources are available, Snohomish and Pierce Countyhave been able to allocate the money and this is a failure of the current Executive, Nguyen said via email last month. There are additional county and state resources that are also being distributed. 1655 North Fort Myer Drive Suite 700 Arlington, VA 22209. He lives in East Fremont and loves to explore the city on his bike. Ballots are due February 14. Its no Bellingham, WA lawmakers deadlocked as drugs ravage Snohomish County, rest of state, Woman shot in West Seattle, hours after 2 killed on Capitol Hill, Oregon tells a cautionary tale about drugs, but were not listening. Washington Gov. We certainly are concerned about the eviction moratorium being lifted, said Lauren McGowan, United Way of King County associate vice president. Residential tenants who receive aneviction notice during the moratorium should contact the Renting in Seattle hotline at 2066845700. What will happen on February 28 when the moratorium expires? Watch the video. Additionally, in King County, there is currently a court order that any eviction may be delayed by up to 60 days for a person who is enrolled in the EPRAP program to allow time for the program to pay rent. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The Eastside Legal Assistance Program can also provide legal help to tenants. "Seattle has pretty consistently made up like a quarter of all the evictions in king county alone, so we're looking at 30,000 households potentially being at risk for eviction," said Tram-Larson. Renters can also seek help from the Tenant Law Center at (206) 324-6890. The Washington State Department of Commerce has committed to providing $66 million more to King County for rent relief. Seattle's COVID-19 eviction moratorium expired on February 28, 2022. Call 211 to learn more. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? The advance fee for service of the writ includes one hour of the detective's time at the eviction. The eviction moratorium lapsed on July 31, but the CDC announced on August 3 a limited eviction moratorium through October 3 for renters living in communities experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, covering an estimated 80% of all U.S. counties and 90% of all renters. However, the Executive did note theyre hoping for additional funding. The City and our partners can help renters and landlords understand their rights, responsibilities, and available resources. MayorHarrellhas also directed the Citystaff to develop a website to connect tenants and small landlords to available financial resources,information onrights and protections,and other criticalupdatesneeded as the moratoriaends. All the conditions that made that true are still true. Watch the video. The catch is that King County has been lagging behind other counties in disbursing those funds. Before the legislative session ends this week, state lawmakers are still debating their budgets in Olympia, where House Democrats have proposed spending an additional $55 million on rent assistance. Skip to main content Evictions for lease violations do not have those requirements, meaning those eviction cases can move faster. Advocates say the key to keeping renters in their homes will be another infusion of emergency rental assistance funding. ARLINGTON COUNTY. Tens of thousands still havent been helped yet: The most recent Census Bureau Pulse Survey data (week 39) finds that there are 128,126 tenants still behind in rent. Tenants who feel they have been discriminated against in housing based on one of Seattles protected classes can file a complaint with the citys Office for Civil Rights atseattle.gov/civilrights/file-complaint, For help negotiating, tenants and landlords can contact the Dispute Resolution Center of King County atkcdrc.org. One city law says that for the next six months, tenants can raise a defense in court if they can certify they suffered financial hardship because of the pandemic. Many callers are looking for help catching up on their rent, but HJP only has the resources to help people actively facing eviction. The county Department of Community and Human Servicessaid it will direct any additional money it receives to people who have already applied through the portal. What you see is stress levels going up. One-third of those who enroll in two-year colleges don't graduate, saying bureaucracy and a lack of support keep them from thriving. Data about how many people have fallen behind on rent in Seattle and King County is spotty at best. Landlords are required to notify tenants of the installment option. The department runs a weekly lottery to select qualified applicants. There are some exceptions which can be found under the RCW links above. Unfortunately, we will not be able to help everyone that has registered. Find certified small business contractors and suppliers. Fully lifting the moratorium and allowing evictions for nonpayment of rent is expected to unleash a larger wave of evictions that have built up over the course of a year and a half eviction moratorium that also included a statewide rent freeze until the Governors less restrictive bridge order in late June. Mayor Harrells latestExecutiveOrder comes after convening a work group of tenant advocates and small landlords, whothrough multiple meetings withMayor Harrellprovided input around impacts of the pandemic andthe effects of theevictionmoratoriuminformed bylived experience. This means that landlords are prohibited from evicting a tenant for past rent due from Feb. 29, 2020 through July 31, 2021. What has been abundantly proven over this last year and a half is that these eviction protections are working. The City continues to assess when to lift these individual suspensions as it relates to the COVID-19 emergency. The process from application to payment takes on average 57 days, Moore said. Last week, the moratorium expired, opening a new chapter: the return of payment-related eviction notices, new demand for financial and legal help and a test of new tenant protections meant to keep people housed. Charlie Baker's house in Swampscott, Mass. Everyones in panic mode of what to do and whos going to get served with remaining rent assistance funds, said Lauren McGowan, associate vice president of United Way of King County. Governor Jay Inslees eviction moratorium bridge order is set to expire on October 31st, and the Governor confirmed Thursday he is not issuing another extension, as the Spokesman-Review reported. This spring, she said she landed a job at Seattles Lumen Field mass vaccination site. The evictions prevention program was slow to get off the ground, but has helped stave off the tsunami of evictions that many advocates feared the pandemic would cause. Watch the video. Evictions (writs of restitution) - King County An eviction (Writ of Restitution) involves a tenant being court ordered to leave a residence. Because of high demand, the Housing Justice Project cannot currently help tenants earlier in the eviction process, such as upon receipt of a 14-day notice. Watch the video. Kings County Small Claims Advisor (559)582-3211, ext. Another says tenants can at any time raise a similar defense if they are being evicted for rent debt accrued during the civil emergency declared citywide and for six months after the emergency. King Countys initial holdup, as we reported in early September, was that it opted to set up a new database and payment automating system to distribute rent assistance in an effort to help shield nonprofit partners from liability and reporting headaches that federal contracts entail. Were going to be the last-ditch effort and hopefully we can settle the case with funding for tenants facing eviction, Tran-Larson said. Like what weve seen in most communities, you dont see this automatic wave of evictions right away because there are a number of tenant protections, McGowan said. Due to limited funding remaining, the EPRAP program is no longer accepting new applications for rent assistance. We are excited to have a definitive end date to the eviction moratorium, to allow the regulations that have been passed to take hold and to see an ability to move forward and away from the pandemic, said Waller of the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association. But if that pace remains, the state may not reopen earlier than June 30. Before you make decisions about leaving your unit or agree to a payment plan, find information about your rights and how the eviction process works at washingtonlawhelp.org. We talked Comp Plan, design review reform, the prospect of a Seattle Sixplex, and more. The goal is to place a new, qualified tenant prior to the current lease end date in order to minimize vacancy time. The Mayor directs and controls all City offices and departments except where that authority is granted to another office by the City Charter. In Seattle, tenants will continue to have some protections, including two defenses in court, if they fell behind on rent during the pandemic. Detectives will serve the tenant or post a residence with a writ of restitution or court order. Seattle renters must show up in court to use the remaining protections against eviction. Money has started flowing, however, to landlords in other Puget Sound counties. An Urbanist writer since 2015, he dreams of pedestrianizing streets, blanketing the city in bus lanes, and unleashing a mass timber building spree to end the affordable housing shortage and avert our coming climate catastrophe. If you have signed up for the waitlist and have not yet been contacted by a staff person, you will not have an account through this portal and should direct all questions regarding your application status to United Way King County through their Rent Help site and support form. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer). EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - Amharic, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - Arabic, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet Dari, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - English, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - French, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - Korean, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - Somali, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - Spanish, EPRAP Tenant Eviction Prevention Fact Sheet - Vietnamese. Even with an array of new city and state protections, including the right to a payment plan, the notice is a source of anxiety because its the first step toward potential eviction. Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA), Giving Notice to Terminate Your Rental Agreement, Kaalmada guri ka saarida (Eviction Assistance), Asistencia para desalojos (Eviction Assistance), H tr v Trc xut (Eviction Assistance), Marketing Your Unit (Fair Housing Regulations), Reasonable Accommodation And Reasonable Modification, Move In Fees and Deposits / Installment Payments, Reasonable Accomodation Requests and Reasonable Modification, Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance, Reasonable Accommodation and Reasonable Modification, Please read Mayor Harrell's latest eviction moratorium announcement, programs that assist landlords with damages and unpaid rent, Washington Multi-family Housing Association, Subscribe to news from the Renter's Commission, Renter Protections After the Moratorium Ends (Flyer), 700 5th Ave, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA, 98124, If you get an eviction notice, call the Renting in Seattle Helpline at. Fee: General District . If a renter doesnt show up, the court sides with the landlord by default. Landlords are able to proceed with certain evictions but should have a good understanding of the process and what is and is not allowed. Jay Inslee announces he won't seek reelection in Washington state, Seattles about 5 inches behind normal rainfall this year, Download KING 5's Roku and Amazon Fire apps to watch live newscasts and video on demand, Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program, Organization suspected of paying fraudulent rental assistance applications, Thurston County claims, King County to stop accepting new applications for rental assistance program. King County doesnt expect payments to begin until mid-July, according to Mark Ellerbrook, division director of the countys Department of Community and Human Services. What does this mean for renters, landlords, and property managers?Renters continue to have a number of eviction protections detailed below. Those funds flowed to local governments, and payments were distributed directly to landlords. Counties have also pointed to new documentation requirements that add time to processing applications for help. The EPRAP program still has quite a bit of funding trickling out to tenants and their landlords. Despite the resources offered by the city, Tram Tran-Larson, the community engagement manager with the Housing Justice Project, believes the end of the eviction moratorium may lead to tens of thousands of evictions. The detectives' assistance will include enforcing the court order and ensuring the peace. Darya Farivar, The Urbanist Elections Committees endorsed candidate in LD46, was our October Urbanist Meetup guest. Washington's statewide eviction moratorium expires on June 30, leaving a large number of low-income and vulnerable residents at risk of eviction, even as they struggle to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Jay Inslee said Thursday the state's eviction protections will remain in place through the end of October because counties aren't getting federal and state. Meanwhile, King County plans to stop accepting new applications for pandemic-related rent assistance on the same day Seattle's eviction moratorium will end, on Feb. 28. An eviction (Writ of Restitution) involves a tenant being ordered by the court to leave a residence. Because of high demand, the Housing Justice Project cannot currently help tenants earlier in the eviction process, such as upon receipt of a 14-day notice. They have protected vulnerable households and have prevented racial inequities from getting even worse. On Feb. 22, the Seattle City Council voted 5-3 against a proposal to extend the moratorium for the eighth time since March 2020. Landlords can, once again, serve their tenants eviction notices for nonpayment of rent, but renters facing eviction still have several city- and state-mandated protections to help them stay in their homes. Time is running out for so many in our community. The Mayor directs and controls all City offices and departments except where that authority is granted to another office by the City Charter. Whether you are waiting for rent assistance in the Tenant Pool or currently in the process of being served, if your landlord issues you an eviction notice, help is available. In December, Futurewise was our guest for a state legislative preview. 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New laws delay some evictions and provide renters a right to legal counsel. Visit King County Bar Association for more information and click here to understand your rights under the Bridge Proclamation. Jay Inslee Thursday announced an extension of the emergency ban on evictions through Sept. 30 in an effort to help Washington tenants navigate the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. On Feb. 28, Seattle's COVID-19 residential and commercial eviction moratorium ended. Anecdotally, Witter and United Way's McGowan agreed that, with each week of the pandemic, the amount of debt individual renters owe has grown. But overall, the rollout of rent assistance has been slow. Seattle's Mayor is the head of the Executive department. The pandemics unprecedented economic toll threatened thousands of our neighbors with eviction, but the hard work of our staff and community partners has kept more than 12,000 households in their homes, Executive Constantine said. Update: This article was updated at 1:42pm October 29th to add Governor Inslees no extension announcement. We also expect to receive soon additional funds to continue operating the program into 2022, communication director Chase Gallagher said in an email. Snohomish County has begun distributing about $58 million in aid. Its very premature of them, because we are still have issues with their database.. For questions and general information about tenants rights, callSolid Grounds Tenant Services Message Line at 206-694-6767 or the Tenants Union of Washington State hotline at 206-723-0500 or trytenantsunion.org. On March 18, 2020, Governor Inslee issued Proclamation 20-19 imposing a 30-day statewide eviction moratorium prohibiting residential landlords from issuing any eviction notice based upon non-payment of rent or termination of a tenancy unless the landlord attaches an affidavit attesting that the action is necessary to ensure the health and safety Announcing a final two-week extension of the eviction moratoria, Mayor Bruce Harrell issues directive to support vulnerable tenants and small landlords through $25 million in emergency assistance, online resources. Complete this online form to request legal assistance in English or Spanish. Phone: 206-684-4000. This marks the sixth extension of the eviction moratoriumas part of the COVID-19 civil emergency since March 14, 2020,when Seattle declared one of the firstevictionmoratoriumsin the country. To not increase rent for six months after payment period. Thanks to new laws passed by the state and the city of Seattle, low-income tenants facing eviction are guaranteed free legal support from an attorney. We talked road safety, social housing, zoning, and more. (ERA). Housing Justice Project managing attorney Edmund Witter said renters who receive an eviction notice should contact the Housing Justice Project right away, either throughits web form, by phone at 206-267-7069 or email, hjpstaff@kcba.org. A key piece of the safety net for tenants like Rigdon throughout the pandemic has been hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds for emergency rent assistance. 800 Corporate Drive Suite 301 Stafford, VA 22554. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the end of the eviction moratorium on Feb. 11, extending it for a final two weeks. That figure comes after the injection . In King County, about 2,600 landlords and 9,000 tenants have registered to receive assistance. Yet BIPOC renters and organizations report significant barriers and difficulties in accessing these funds that are being made more difficult by language barriers, technology barriers and workforce issues being experienced at the nonprofit and county level.Undoubtedly, those most impacted by prematurely lifting the eviction bridge will be those historically most marginalized. Tens of thousands of tenants have applied for rent assistance, but local officials will run out of funds before serving all of them. The County then contracted out with a third party vendor, Grantcare to create the database, and Grantcare was late in delivering the project. Temporary parking zones for hospital and human services staff, as announced on March 26, 2020, will beresumedand beextended through January 15, 2022. The governor also said that some indoor mask requirements would remain for unvaccinated people even after the state lifts most restrictions. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. Correction: This article has been updated with the correct amount of rent relief money King County has distributed since the start of the pandemic. Landlords also must notify a dispute resolution center in their county. They cannot be, A requirement that landlords allow tenants to pay the rent they owe, A right to legal counsel in eviction protections. Apply online or call their helpline: 425-747-7274 (English) 425-620-2778 (espaol). The City of Seattle will continue totake action to support thosemost in need striving toprotectthehealth andwell-beingof our residents,prevent homelessnessandundue financial hardship, and buildOne Seattlewithabundant opportunityfor all and thriving, vibrant, connected communities., Address: For additional questions please see the Office of Economic DevelopmentsCOVID-19 Lease Amendment Tool Kit. Watch the video. 2023 Cascade Public Media. P.O. There is some hope that King County could get more rent relief money from the state and perhaps the federal government. McCoy is advocacy director of Real Change and leads the House Our Neighbors campaign that crafted the Seattle social housing initiative. State Health Secretary Umair Shah said hes hopeful the state can still hit its goal before June 30. While its too soon to know how many evictions will be filed in Seattle now that the moratorium is over, the King County Dispute Resolution Center has seen a steady stream of landlords issuing 14-day notices. But for landlords, the end of the moratorium comes as a relief. As recently as last week they are still doing database trainings for community-based organization providers. Seattle Councilmember Tammy Morales was our guest on March 14. With not everyone in need receiving rent assistance on the front-end, many could end up in eviction court. Visit the EPRAP Tenant Portal. Website by:Flip Flop Freelance. Rigdon is counting down the days because last week his landlord issued him a 14-day notice to pay the months rent he owes or leave his Capitol Hill micro-studio. Eviction prevention protections in place today vary by jurisdiction. The remaining funds, Velasco says, will be distributed by the end of March to Seattle households through the King County Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program that applied before Feb. 28. Without that, I would be homeless not a question about that one, Rigdon said. King County EPRAP has limited funds available. We are committed to working with the County Executive, ensuring the community both landlords and tenants understand the program and the availability of funding.. According to United Way of King County, one of the countys partner organizations helping distribute rent relief, there are at least 3,000 Seattle households left in the eviction prevention applicant pool and about 2,000 of them are likely to receive help. That money will be used to fund remaining applications but it will not serve all pre-registered households.
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