Let's be realistic - we still need more time. Governor Inslee should extend eviction protections until the pandemic ends!
A new national poll by NPR has confirmed what we have been saying all along – 38% of all US households are struggling financially and the majority of those households are BIPOC. Many more are hanging on by a thread, even if they’ve kept up until now – on top of those who are behind, 19% of households have depleted their savings. It is WAY too early for Washington to step back from eviction protections.
With counties across Washington still struggling to get rental assistance to those who need it most, we are facing a reality that we should have expected all along: Getting millions of dollars in rental assistance out the door takes time. We can’t let families bear the consequences of our failure to make a realistic plan.
For exactly these reasons, the Justice Department, Treasury Department, and HUD have all encouraged every state to enact strong eviction protections through the end of the pandemic. If the Governor doesn't respond to these calls with strong action, the surge of evictions we’ve been so worried about will become a reality. All of the rental assistance dollars and eviction protections up until now will have been wasted.
Join us in emailing Governor Inslee and state lawmakers today to make sure we do not set ourselves up for an even bigger eviction and homelessness crisis.