Re: Fw: Insleeextends evictionmoratorium Jennifer Ammons (04 Jun 2020 19:16 UTC)
Re: Homeless Coalition - Re: Fw: Insleeextends evictionmoratorium Dianne Chapman (04 Jun 2020 20:24 UTC)

Re: Homeless Coalition - Re: Fw: Insleeextends evictionmoratorium Dianne Chapman 04 Jun 2020 20:24 UTC

Hello,
Can you please send me info on help for rental assistance. I have five
tenants deeply impacted and have no way to pay rent.
Thank you so much,
Dianne Chapman

On Thu, Jun 4, 2020 at 12:16 PM Jennifer Ammons <jennifera@nwjustice.org> wrote:
>
> Some key points:
>
>
> Eviction moratorium extended to August 1.
> Landlords CAN give a 60-day notice (60 days before the end of a rental period) for a tenant to vacate so that the landlord can personally occupy the unit or sell the unit.
> Landlords CAN still evict tenants who are causing a significant and immediate risk to the health, safety, or property of others.  "Significant & immediate risk" does NOT include having, having been exposed to, or being at high risk for COVID-19.  It also does NOT include other health conditions or disabilities a tenant has or conditions the landlord was aware of before the pandemic but had not taken any action on (such as a dilapidated unit, tenant's incontinent dog, tenant on oxygen who smokes, etc.).
> Landlords CAN contact tenants about setting up a repayment plan.
> Payment plans are only required for arrearages beginning March 1, and only if nonpayment was "a result of the COVID-19 outbreak."  Tenants who consider this a free-rent period are in for a rude awakening.
> Every provision of the moratorium ends August 1.  It is unclear whether tenants will legally be able to avoid eviction after that point because the landlord has not offered a reasonable payment plan.  It seems clear that is the Governor's intent, but we expect there may be legal challenges to this.
> There is not a lot of guidance on what a "reasonable" payment plan is, just that it must be reasonable based on the tenant's circumstances.  What landlords (and courts) consider "reasonable" is likely to include much larger payments over a shorter period than tenants expect.
>
> For these reasons, tenants should take advantage of rent assistance programs available NOW, rather than simply allowing the arrearage to build up.  We know those programs will run out of funds, and landlords will be more likely to allow payment plans the tenants also considers reasonable on smaller debts, where the landlord has not been waiting months to receive even a penny.
>
>
> Jennifer Ammons
> Staff Attorney
> Northwest Justice Project - Tacoma
> (253) 272-7879, ext. 0937
> fax: (206) 299-3061
>
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>
> Fwd: Fw: Inslee extends eviction moratorium by Maureen Howard (03 Jun 2020 02:53 UTC)
> Reply to list
>
> Colleagues,
> With thanks to Michele Thomas, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance who got this out late today..  I've edited her email a bit and will forward information as the Alliance sends it out.  In the meantime, just breathe.
> Thank you for your work,
> Maureen
> The essence of Michele's email:
> The eviction moratorium is extended until August 1st.  There are some changes, so the Alliance will be analyzing the new proclamation and getting information out as soon as possible.  You can read the announcement below. Note the link to the full proclamation.
> And great work! Hundreds of organizations signed the letter and many hundreds of individuals signed the individual petition.
> best,
> Michele
> Michele Thomas
> She/her/hers
> Director of Policy and Advocacy
> Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
> (Contact Michele via the Housing Alliance Action Fund at MicheleT@housingactionfund.org)
>
> 206-442-9455 ext. 205  I  wliha.org  I  fb /wliha  I  tw @wliha
>
>
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