Neighboring counties like Snohomish and Pierce County implemented their programs manually and were quicker to get money out the door. 1655 North Fort Myer Drive Suite 700 Arlington, VA 22209. 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. The Eviction Moratorium 'bridge' proclamation was created on July 1, 2021. P.O. Tram Tran-Larson, Community Engagement Manager at Housing Justice Project (HJP) of the King County Bar Association, is worried about what this means for tenants. 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Time is running out for so many in our community. Free legal assistance to renters facing eviction in King County. If you receive a pay-or-vacate notice in Seattle, call the City's Renting in Seattle Helpline at (206) 684-5700 to make sure it's a valid notice. Seattle provides additional eviction protection for qualified renters after the moratorium expires. Eviction for No Lease or End of Lease. 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. And almost 169,000 renters express no confidence in their ability to pay next months rent. United Way of King County has launched a service on its website to alert tenants to new financial help if it becomes available. There are some exceptions which can be found under the RCW links above. He lives in East Fremont and loves to explore the city on his bike. Seattle's eviction moratorium, which for the past nearly two years has prevented evictions of residential renters, small businesses and nonprofits, will be extended through the end of. Building a database to manage King Countys $145 million (with more on the way) has contributed to the delay, Ellerbrook said. What will happen on February 28 when the moratorium expires? For tenants who have already applied for rent assistance, King County will continue to select recipients using a lottery system. Funding for rental assistance for all of King County is also running out. 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. The Eastside Legal Assistance Program can also provide legal help to tenants. Ultimately, its getting money to pay back rental debt that will keep tenants in their homes. For tenants who have already applied for rent assistance, King County will continue to select recipients using a lottery system. For cases filed in General District Court, the average cost is $110. We dont want to have success reopening our businesses, and then see a wave of homelessness, Inslee said in a news conference on states response to the pandemic. ARLINGTON COUNTY. Apply onlineor call their helpline: 425-747-7274 (English) 425-620-2778 (espaol). 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.. Additionally, there are instances where no notice is needed as part of the eviction process in Virginia. Legal help:If you receive a pay-or-vacate notice in Seattle, call the citysRenting in Seattle Helplineat 206-684-5700 to make sure its a valid notice. For more program information and updates, please visit the United Way of King County rent help webpage found in the For Questions information box to the right. Tenants who owe one month of rent or less can repay the amount in three monthly installments, while those who between one and two months of rent can pay in five installments and those who owe more than two months can pay with six monthly installments. 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 at seattle.gov/civilrights/file-complaint, For help negotiating, tenants and landlords can contact the Dispute Resolution Center of King County at kcdrc.org. Extension language in the writ or an order allowing us additional time, will be necessary. And almost 169,000 renters express no confidence in their ability to pay next months rent. Now, Velasco says Seattle and other cities are looking to the state and federal government for more money. About 2,200 households have received an average of $9,000 per household, said spokesperson Kari Moore. Without that, I would be homeless not a question about that one, Rigdon said. What has been abundantly proven over this last year and a half is that these eviction protections are working.. Updated fees for restitutions in Seattle metro and elsewhere in King County found byclicking here. It expects it can help up to 750 households. Landlords are able to proceed with certain evictions but should have a good understanding of the process and what is and is not allowed. By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional membership emails from Crosscut/Cascade Public Media. @kcexec Extend the eviction moratorium until funds are dispersed.https://t.co/r3UtFjrf0y, Residents impacted by the pandemic and now on the verge of an evictiondont need excuses. SEATTLE - Seattle's eviction moratorium will expire at the end of February after Mayor Bruce Harrell announced a final two-week extension for the program through a new executive order Friday. This timeline protects tenants from evictions for non/late payments throughmid-June2022. 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. According to the Housing Justice Project (HJP), an arm of the King County Bar Association that provides free legal assistance to people facing eviction, most evictions filed during the state moratorium on evictions between April 2020 and March 2021 occurred in South King County, which was also particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Landlords also must notify a dispute resolution center in their county. Outside King County, tenants seeking legal help can apply online at nwjustice.org/apply-online or call the Eviction Defense Screening Line at 855-657-8387. Statewide, tenants do not have those defenses in court, but have some other protections. All the conditions that made that true are still true. His commitment to the communities of color, and keeping families housed is critical to our WA Build-Back Black 5-year strategy. If there is an unexpected windfall and the county can provide money to everyone whos applied, it will reopen the portal to new applicants. But overall, the rollout of rent assistance has been slow. The process from application to payment takes on average 57 days, Moore said. Fee: General District . 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. Evictions fall hardest on those on the margins of society: Undoubtedly, those most impacted by prematurely lifting the eviction bridge will be those historically most marginalized. While we face theunexpected rise of the Delta variant, thisnextextension will ensureevery level of governmentcan providerental assistanceand housing supportto tenants and landlords, which iscritical to stabilizing the community as we reopenand recover.. Meanwhile 368,600 tenants who are current on rent report that they have had to rely on money from savings or selling assets or possessions (including withdrawals from retirement accounts) to meet their basic needs over the last seven days. With COVID casessteadily declining, the time has comefor the City to move on from thebroadapproachof the eviction moratoriaandinstead drive more deliberateandfocusedefforts to support thosemostin need,said Mayor Harrell. Inslee has continued to string along the moratorium in small one to three month increments, with the last extension announced on September 24th. SEATTLE Seattle's eviction moratorium officially ended Monday, two years after it was enacted. McCoy is advocacy director of Real Change and leads the House Our Neighbors campaign that crafted the Seattle social housing initiative. The King County eviction program has about $30 million left in the bank. For questions and general information about tenants' rights, call Solid Ground's Tenant Services Message Line at (206) 694-6767 or the Tenants Union of Washington State hotline at (206) 723-0500 or try tenantsunion.org. Earlier in February, Harrell announced a final two-week extension to push the moratorium's expiration date to the end of the month and directed the Office of Housing to distribute more than $25 million to support vulnerable renters and small landlords. Watch the video. King County EPRAP has limited funds available. The program also targets people of color, withnumerous reportsfindingthat people of color account for disproportionate numbers of evictions locally and nationally. Watch the video. According to Witter, a little over half of renters in King County arent showing up for their eviction court dates right now. Box 94749, Seattle, WA, 98124-4749 Those funds flowed to local governments, and payments were distributed directly to landlords. Clarifies that among the existing permissible reasons for seeking to evict a tenant is a tenant's behavior that can be imminent be hazardous to safety of others on the premises. All other King County jurisdictions: The risk of eviction proceedings increases starting Nov. 1, 2021, but protection is available. 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. Please read Mayor Harrell's latest eviction moratorium announcement. Watch the video. 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. The Civil Division is prohibited from providing legal advice. For Landlord/Tenant information - www.dca.ca.gov. Under Inslees latest order, landlords will be prohibited from evicting tenants for past-due rent accrued during the pandemic, until a rental assistance program and an eviction-resolution program are operational in their county. The writ of eviction can be issued 10 days after the date the court rules in the landlord's favor; but it must be requested within 180 days at the very latest. On Feb. 28, Seattle's COVID-19 residential and commercial eviction moratorium ended. With the Governors bridge order in effect, Washington state landlords have been barred from evicting tenants for nonpayment of rent, but have been able to use other grounds, most commonly lease term violations or the owner wishing to occupy the unit or sell. 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. The City has distributed more than $15 million of the first allocation of the American Rescue Plan rent relief to tenants and landlords since June including 100% of funds to United Way King County and income-restricted affordable housing. Tenant advocates praised the announcement, saying it will allow more time to set up programs, distribute rent assistance and educate landlords and tenants. Its very premature of them, because we are still have issues with their database.. We certainly are concerned about the eviction moratorium being lifted, said Lauren McGowan, United Way of King County associate vice president. Click on this link for fees effectiveFebruary 1, 2023. 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. 401 5th Ave., Suite 500 Featured Links. 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. Officials around the nation are seeing a slowdown in people starting the vaccination process, Shah said, adding: That is something that we are concerned about in the public health community.. Disclaimer: The information provided on this website does not and is not intended to represent legal advice. One-third of those who enroll in two-year colleges don't graduate, saying bureaucracy and a lack of support keep them from thriving. If your landlord issues you an eviction notice, Housing Justice Project will provide you free legal counsel. In-person assistance available 10:00am to 2:00pm. Address: Heres what to know, Where the Starbucks union stands after rallies, proposed audit, Auditors flag half of Washington counties over COVID-19 aid, Starbucks union fight shows hard road for many toward contract, Mossback Upon Further Review: the Seattle Freeze and the Old South, Mossback's Northwest: The Case of the Pickled Orca, Six more months during which tenants cannot be evicted if they can show that they fell behind on rent during the pandemic, Protection for Seattle renters with school-aged children or those who work for the school district. But the states most populous county has yet to distribute its latest round of aid. Paula Sardinas, president of the Washington Build Back Black Coalition, which backs city and state renter protections, agreed. Counties have also pointed to new documentation requirements that add time to processing applications for help. That time frame includes rent that was due between Feb. 29, 2020, and July 31 of this year. 2023 Cascade Public Media. The extended moratorium, which bans evictions within the city only for nonpayment of rent and late fees, will expire whenever Gov. Washington Administrative Code Kings County Small Claims Advisor (559)582-3211, ext. As we worktogethertoward to a new normal, we know were not yet out of the woods ofthis pandemic,said Mayor Harrell. In a press release today, King County Executive Dow Constantine said $63 million has been distributed to keep tenants housed and declared the Countys Eviction Protection and Rent Assistance Program (EPRAP) fully operational as required by the State. Ballots are due February 14. The catch is that King County has been lagging behind other counties in disbursing those funds. Renters can also seek help from the Tenant Law Center at 206-324-6890. For everyone landlords and tenants.. Mayor Harrell will issue anExecutiveOrder extending theresidential evictionmoratoriumfrom February 14through February 28,after which the moratorium will not be renewed. The numbers are so low, the EOC has stopped collecting data on it this week. More informationabout these lawscan be found at the RevisedCode of Washington RCW 59.12, RCW 59.18, and RCW 59.20. Advocates, attorneys and mediators will begin to get a better idea of the scale of Seattle evictions later this month. 5680 King Centre Drive . For tenants who are actively facing eviction in court, the Housing Justice Project has a pool of about $13 million in county funds for rent assistance. Seattle's Mayor is the head of the Executive department. In December, Futurewise was our guest for a state legislative preview. To not increase rent for six months after payment period. With the existing moratorium set to end June 30, the extension which is a new version that will be released in the coming days is an attempt to deal with the pandemic's massive economic. We need to make sure were creating safety nets, said Paula Sardinas, president of the Washington Build Back Black Alliance, which had called on Inslee to extend the moratorium. Tenants who miss rent payments within six months of the civil emergency order (not the moratorium) ending are entitled to installment plans to repay their debt, under a 2020 council ordinance. Landlord and tenant advocates both agree that for any tenant facing eviction, communication and following the rules will be key. Inslee extends eviction moratorium, public utilities proclamation on March 18, 2021. The moratorium has been in place in Seattle since March 2020. I wouldnt really say that were ready on our end because there have been so many issues, Tran-Larson said. Ill have to get on that and just work as hard as possible, Rigdon said. If the tenant has not moved by the date on the writ of restitution or court order, the detectives will assist the landlord in evicting the tenant. Officials expect 7,000 to 8,000 tenants who applied to be left without help. Its not clear if enough money remains in the EPRAP coffers to reach all of these new applicants. 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. However, Harrell's office said it's difficult to track the number of people who have benefited from the moratorium. If a tenant is unable to pay their rent, the best success theyre going to have is to address that and communicate immediately with their landlord, said Brett Waller, government affairs director at the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association. Watch the video. We talked Comp Plan, design review reform, the prospect of a Seattle Sixplex, and more. Tenants who dont go to court will be at more risk. On Feb. 28, Seattles COVID-19 residential and commercial eviction moratorium ended. 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. All Rights Reserved. Acceptable methods of payment are cash, check, or money order. So just get a vaccination, Inslee added later. Tiffani McCoy was our January guest to talk Initiative 135. Seattle, Burien, and Kenmore: These cities extended their eviction moratoriums to protect renters until January 15, 2022. Landlords can find information about state mitigation programs on theDepartment of Commerce website. Phone: 206-684-4000. Late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment of rent during the moratorium are not allowed. If the County continues to distribute ~$6M per week, they still have 15 weeks before that money is out the door. The County contracted with HJP to distribute $24 million in rent assistance which is aimed at protecting tenants facing eviction summons. King County expects to have 6,000-8,000 rental assistance applications to address after the eviction moratorium bridge expires. 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. (Interpreters are available.). It is also important to note that King County is not at risk of having funds reallocated or taken back for being an underperforming jurisdiction based on recent Treasury guidance.. Payment Plans Request payment plans online to Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities. 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. Were going to be the last-ditch effort and hopefully we can settle the case with funding for tenants facing eviction, Tran-Larson said. Both moratoriums were first proclaimed in mid-March 2020 . Matt Hutchins was our November guest. The Utility Discount Programs Self-Certification Pilot Program, as announced in Executive Order 2020-03, willbe extended through October 31, 2021. An investigation found no hiring policies were violated but noted there is no consistent process for filling leadership positions. Website by:Flip Flop Freelance. Housing advocates also point to weekly housing surveys which shows tenants continue to struggle to make rent. 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. "We've done about all we can do," Inslee said. King CountySuperior Court even as Washingtons economy starts to rebound, remaining state restrictions will lift June 30. Deciding which notice to provide would require the advice of an Attorney, Legal Counsel or Kings County Legal Aid. Housing Choice Vouchers Assistance for low-income families and individuals paying rent (formerly Section 8). 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. . 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. Seattle Times staff reporter Joseph OSullivan covers state government and the Legislature. Every step of this pandemic, our residents and communitylistento scienceand public health officials,which is whywe havethe lowest cases, hospitalizations, and deaths of every major city. Download: Adobe PDF. This means that landlords are prohibited from evicting a tenant for past rent due from Feb. 29, 2020 through July 31, 2021. Legislators, among other things, also expanded the program that attempts to resolve disputes between tenants and landlords before eviction. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The city's moratorium was set to end June 30, but Seattle and King County are still in the process of distributing tens of millions of dollars in payments to landlords on behalf of tenants who . and service fees can vary based on the county. In additiontodistribution ofall availableemergencyrentalassistance, trulyvulnerable tenants thosestillsufferingsignificantpandemic-related financial hardships will continue to haveenhanced evictionprotections,while at the same timesmall landlordshave needed clarity as they evaluatehow to move forward..