Eviction wave looms on Washington horizon. Don’t let it slam Pierce County renters
Renters who lost their incomes during the COVID-19 economic shutdown can now catch their breath after months worrying they might be out on the street when the new year dawned.
A federal eviction moratorium is in place at least until the end of January, thanks to the $900 billion pandemic relief package Congress approved before Christmas. Our state’s thrice-extended eviction moratorium lasts even longer, at least until the end of March.
But Washington renters know with each passing month they’re at risk of losing the roof over their heads. The back rent isn’t going away; it’s accumulating in a heap of debt owed to landlords, many of whom consequently have a hard time paying the bank.
All the more reason why state and local officials must prioritize resources for rent and foreclosure-prevention assistance; preserve and grow the state Housing Trust Fund; and explore legislative solutions beyond the eviction moratorium.
Angst among low-income renters remains high in Pierce County, where officials stopped accepting applications for rental and mortgage assistance after federal CARES Act money dried up late last year. All told, 8.321 people applied for rental aid through the county last year, 6,925 households received it and a total of $16.74 million was distributed.
That averages to about $2,400 per household — enough to cover rent for two months, if you’re lucky.
When the moratoriums finally expire, settling accounts will be painful in an area code that’s a poster child for housing unaffordability. In recent years, Pierce County has shown up on national Top 10 lists for steepest rent increases.
Spanaway, of all places, recently earned the distinction of being the fiercest market for home buyers in the US, according to Redfin. And with that, the threat of gentrification and displacement presses deeper into Tacoma’s suburbs.
While many renters have gone back to work or negotiated payment plans, others remain vulnerable to eviction. A US Census Bureau survey found nearly 12 percent of Washington renters were delinquent on payments as of December; a statewide landlord survey by the Washington Multifamily Housing Association puts the number even higher, at 14.5 percent, a group representative told The Seattle Times.
State Sen. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, told us an estimated 150,000 Washingtonians are at risk of eviction and, she fears, homelessness.
Darneille has signed on to legislation that would suspend landlords from raising rent in the first six months after the governor’s moratorium ends. Then for an additional six months, landlords could not raise rents more than 3 percentage points above the previous year’s consumer price index.
“While we know that everyone is struggling in this pandemic, we have to recognize that some are struggling more than others,” Darneille said.
Senate Bill 5139 deserves a public hearing, though it won’t sit well with landlords with their own bills to pay. This problem can’t be borne solely on the backs of property owners, nor are renters the only victims of housing insecurity. More than 900 Pierce County homeowners received foreclosure counseling last year through the CARES Act.
There’s sure to be several other efforts in Olympia this year; one proposal would create a revenue source for rental assistance by closing a tax loophole on big banks.
Without a dedicated revenue source, local governments and social service agencies must continue relying on an unstable grab bag of federal pandemic relief dollars.
Last week, the Pierce County Council applied for a grant of up to $20.8 million to distribute as emergency rental assistance through Sept. 30. It’s part of a $25 billion package approved by Congress to help housing providers pay their bills and keep renters in their homes.
One streamlined feature of this program, which is expected to be running by mid-February: Housing providers can apply for funds on behalf of multiple tenants at one time.
Pierce County is also participating in a promising experiment to keep rent disputes from bogging down the court system. It’s one of six counties where landlords and tenants are required to go through mediation before taking legal action.
The Eviction Resolution Program can help prevent the worst outcomes for both sides; we’d like to see it expanded statewide before moratoriums are lifted and a wave of homelessness crashes down.
Our elected leaders must pursue solutions with diligence, mindful that housing insecurity has downstream effects on entire communities, not just renters and landlords.
On Monday we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, for whom the fight for fair and affordable housing occupied the last few years of his extraordinary life.
King’s words ring with the same truth during a pandemic as they did during the shared struggles of his era: “We may all have come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”