*UPDATE* - Governor Inslee announced a "bridge plan" on Thursday, June 25th. The press release can be found here. While we are glad he is considering the needs of renters, we are concerned that the plan will leave many renters vulnerable to eviction and rent increases. It is important for us to tell Gov. Inslee that he must leave no renter behind, put forth a strong, protective proclamation, and ensure that the right to counsel is required to be implemented before evictions can proceed. Will you please send the governor an email using the form to the right? He needs to hear from you right away!

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On June 30, the state eviction moratorium is scheduled to be lifted, and renters will be left high and dry. We must urge Governor Inslee to extend the moratorium so that tenants behind in rent have a real opportunity to access new protections passed by the legislature. While significant work is being done to get the Right to Counsel into place as quickly as possible, it will not be fully implemented throughout the state until later this year. Meanwhile, incredible numbers of renters are applying for rental assistance and it will take months to get the funds distributed. Lifting the moratorium and allowing landlords to evict on July 1 would be grossly irresponsible.

Instead, we are asking Governor Inslee to extend the eviction moratorium until counties can show they have the protections in place to prevent homelessness. Additionally, we are asking Governor Inslee to continue to prevent rent increases. There are almost 400,000 renters in Washington who are current on rent but who are hanging on by a thread, using unsustainable means to meet their basic needs. Rent increases will push many into our already overwhelmed rental assistance programs and will raise the cost of housing stability.

June 30th is right around the corner. The Governor needs to know how important the moratorium has been in preventing homelessness and that it needs to continue for a while longer while protections are getting into place.

Will you please email Governor Inslee directly using the form to the right and urge him to take action? We encourage you to customize your message and include your personal connection to this issue. Thank you!