I wanted to follow up to make sure you saw Dimitri's email. I've been in Olympia all week working on our eviction reform bills, and the messages of support lawmakers are getting from advocates like you matter – especially considering what happened earlier today in the Senate. 

I was shocked to hear a landlord testify: "Why do we have such high numbers of minorities and other groups [being evicted]? Well, I'm just gonna be blunt: drugs and alcohol is a thing as a landlord I face. Psychosis is something I face." (You can watch the video here.)

This is what we're up against in Olympia, and it illustrates how important eviction reform legislation is in the face of personal and structural racism.

Reforming the eviction system is a racial justice issue. And it's a fight we can win. But right now the lawmakers I'm talking to are hearing more from landlords in opposition to these bills than they are from advocates in support. If you haven't already, please send a message to your lawmakers now.

With thanks,
Michele

Michele Thomas
Director of Policy and Advocacy

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Dear Maureen,

It's Black History Month. The history of struggle and strategy led by Black leaders throughout Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights, and the Black Power eras all focused on housing discrimination and the living conditions of the Black community. 

Discriminatory and arbitrary evictions are a leading cause of housing instability and homelessness across the state, and disproportionately impact Black women in specific. This leads to increased inequities in health, education, and economic opportunity for Black people and families. Changing the eviction system and ending "no-cause" evictions is a matter of fighting anti-Black structural racism. 

The Seattle Women's Commission found that in King County a majority of evictions were because tenants fell less than $100 behind on rent, and data from the 2017 Point-in-Time Count show that evictions and unaffordable housing are the primary contributors to homelessness in counties with the highest homeless rates in the state.  

Evictions can be a scarlet letter on someone's record that affects their chances and choices in becoming stably housed in the future. This legislative session we can strengthen tenant protections by outlawing no-cause evictions and extending the amount of time a tenant can find resources to catch up on rent. We're supporting these bills:

• SB 5733/Saldaña & HB 1656/Macri – requiring a landlord to have a legitimate business reason to evict a tenant. 

• SB 5600/Kuderer & HB 1453/Macri – extending the pay-or-vacate period to at least two weeks before an eviction process can be started, and preventing tenants from falling back into the eviction process via late fees and court fees. 

• SB 1440/Robinson – requiring 60-day notice of rent increase for tenants. Currently only 30 days is required allowing only 10 days for a tenant to provide the adequate notice if they have no other choice but to move. 

• HB 1694/Morgan – allowing tenants to pay move-in fees, deposit, and last month's rent in consecutive and equal payments over 2 or 3 months, unless the fees and deposit are less than 25% of the first month's rent.  

Let's focus on solutions to our housing crisis that target the racial inequities in our housing system by reforming the eviction process this year! 

With gratitude, 

Dimitri 

Dimitri Groce
Member Organizer 

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