TAKE ACTION - PREVENT EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNES

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TAKE ACTION - PREVENT EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS

Legislative Session Week 2: LEND YOUR VOICE to prevent evictions and homelessness!

Washington is at a crossroads; at any given time since the beginning of the pandemic recession, well over 100,000 renters have been unable to pay rent. A sufficient off-ramp from the eviction moratorium must be implemented before it expires in March. Census Bureau data from mid-December found that over 175,000 Washington renters were behind in rent and over 387,000 renters who were current on rent report that they had to use credit cards and other unsustainable methods to meet their basic needs in the last 7 days.

The Washington State Department of Commerce estimates that $100 million in rental assistance is needed PER MONTH in order to meet the great need. The estimated $500 million in federal rental assistance will significantly help address part of the rental arrears that have already accumulated, but it will be critical for the state to fill the gap and to create a longer term solution to assist the households that will continue to need rental assistance for the months and years to come.

Of course, rental assistance alone will not prevent evictions – we must ensure that landlords have a legitimate business reason to make tenants move and that tenants with a valid legal defense don’t unfairly lose their home because of a confusing and intimidating legal process that is impossible to navigate without help.

Use the form on the right to to ask your lawmakers to protect tenants from evictions and homelessness! THANK YOU!

Please contact your lawmaker by sending an email using the form below.

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TAKE ACTION - PREVENT EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS

House

Subject: Vote to keep renters stably housed! Pass HB 1236 and HB 1277

Message:

I am urging you to vote to keep renters stable in their homes this legislative session. Census Bureau data from mid-December found that over 175,000 Washington renters were behind on rent and renters of color are the most impacted, especially Black and Latinx households. Further, over 387,000 renters who are current on rent report that they had to use credit cards and other unsustainable methods to meet their basic needs in the last 7 days. These are our service sector workers, our teachers, our nurses, our elders, our friends and relatives with disabilities, our small business owners. Washington’s tenants need rental assistance and eviction protections in order to prevent a massive spike in homelessness across the state. As the eviction moratorium expires in March, we must have a clear and intentional off-ramp in place: - Landlords must have a legitimate business reason to evict, otherwise rental assistance will not be effective (HB 1236/Macri) - The state must create a prevention rental assistance and housing stability program with a new $100 document recording fee on real estate related transactions (HB 1277/Ormsby), in addition to early budget action to keep rental assistance flowing to our communities now. Additionally, there are two key bills originating in the Senate that are part of this comprehensive eviction moratorium off-ramp: - Tenants behind on rent should have the opportunity for a fair payment plan, the right to legal counsel in court, and protections against housing denials based on debt accrued during the pandemic (SB 5160/Kuderer) - Limit rent increases to reasonable amounts within a year of the eviction moratorium expiring (SB 5139/Das) The Dept. of Commerce estimates that, conservatively, $100 million in rental assistance will be needed per month in order to meet the great need. The estimated $500 million in federal rental assistance will help address rental arrears that have accumulated, but it will be critical for the state to fill the gap and to create a long-term solution to assist the households that will continue to need rental assistance for the months and years to come. This pandemic has wreaked havoc on the livelihoods and stability of low-income renters. Households of color have been disproportionately impacted as systemic racism has driven down wages and prevented access to homeownership opportunities for communities of color, leaving expensive rental housing as the only option for many. For example, statewide, Black households are now twice as likely as white households to be renters and 5 to 7 times as likely to be evicted as white households. In order to prevent a significant increase in homelessness and inequity - while not forgetting the pre COVID-19 affordable housing and homelessness crisis – I urge you to vote yes on the suite of legislation above, which will comprehensively keep renters stable in their homes now and into the future as our economy recovers.

Remaining:

Senators

Subject: Vote to keep renters stably housed! Pass SB 5160, SB 5139, and SB 5138

Message:

I am urging you to vote to keep renters stable in their homes this legislative session. Census Bureau data from mid-December found that over 175,000 Washington renters were behind on rent and renters of color are the most impacted, especially Black and Latinx households. Further, over 387,000 renters who are current on rent report that they had to use credit cards and other unsustainable methods to meet their basic needs in the last 7 days. These are our service sector workers, our teachers, our nurses, our elders, our friends and relatives with disabilities, our small business owners. Washington’s tenants need rental assistance and eviction protections in order to prevent a massive spike in homelessness across the state. As the eviction moratorium expires in March, we must have a clear and intentional off-ramp in place: - Tenants behind on rent should have the opportunity for a fair payment plan, the right to legal counsel in court, and protections against housing denials based on debt accrued during the pandemic (SB 5160/Kuderer) - Limit rent increases to reasonable amounts within a year of the eviction moratorium expiring (SB 5139/Das) Additionally, there are two key bills originating in the House that are part of this comprehensive eviction moratorium off-ramp: - Landlords must have a legitimate business reason to evict, otherwise rental assistance will not be effective (HB 1236/Macri) - The state must create a permanent prevention rental assistance and housing stability program with a new $100 document recording fee on real estate related transactions (HB 1277/Ormsby), in addition to early budget action to keep rental assistance flowing to our communities now (SB 5156/Rolfes). The Dept. of Commerce estimates that, conservatively, $100 million in rental assistance will be needed per month in order to meet the great need. The estimated $500 million in federal rental assistance will help address rental arrears that have accumulated, but it will be critical for the state to fill the gap and to create a long-term solution to assist the households that will continue to need rental assistance for the months and years to come. This pandemic has wreaked havoc on the livelihoods and stability of low-income renters. Households of color have been disproportionately impacted as systemic racism has driven down wages and prevented access to homeownership opportunities for communities of color, leaving expensive rental housing as the only option for many. For example, statewide, Black households are now twice as likely as white households to be renters and 5 to 7 times as likely to be evicted as white households. In order to prevent a significant increase in homelessness and inequity - while not forgetting the pre COVID-19 affordable housing and homelessness crisis – I urge you to vote yes on the suite of legislation above, which will comprehensively keep renters stable in their homes now and into the future as our economy recovers.

Remaining:

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Thank You!

Donate

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ORG CITY, ORG STATE ORG ZIP
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TAKE ACTION - PREVENT EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS

Legislative Session Week 2: LEND YOUR VOICE to prevent evictions and homelessness!

TAKE ACTION - PREVENT EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS

TAKE ACTION - PREVENT EVICTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS

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