SPOKANE, Wash. — Rental property owners in Spokane will soon have to follow new rules to reduce evictions. Supporters say it will help prevent homelessness, but critics warn the ordinance could cause more harm than good.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Spokane City Council expands eviction prevention program to aid tenants and landlords
Eviction filings in Spokane County increased sharply after the pandemic, according to data from the Office of Civil Legal Aid. This pushed city leaders to create the new ordinance.
“On any given day, you can go to Superior Court and see a courtroom filled with families facing eviction,” said Hannah Swenson, an attorney with the Housing Justice Project.
Swenson said the new ordinance will help families stay in their homes. “It channels rental assistance and people, families, providers will now look to the city to access those funds. So people aren’t frantically calling every single support agency in town seeing who has money,” Swenson said.
Under the new rules, landlords must provide tenants with written notice of all eviction programs in the city. They must also participate in an eviction prevention program for 30 days before proceeding with eviction.
Critics argue the city lacks the rental assistance funds that this ordinance streamlines access to.
“I don’t think that’s the solution. And we have a heart. I mean, I want to help these people, but I just don’t think the revenue is there,” said Alice Moravec, who owns rental properties.
Moravec runs rental properties with her husband to help subsidize their retirement. She said the new requirements add unnecessary complications to an already complicated job. Moravec said it will push property owners to leave more apartments vacant.
“They’re expecting the landlords, property owners, small business owners to bear the burden and solve the housing crisis,” Moravec said. “Because we just can’t afford to have another tenant in there that possibly won’t be able to pay rent.”
The ordinance only impacts evictions for non-payment of rent. Tenants can still be evicted for other reasons like damage or safety violations.
The new rules go into effect in June.
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