Dear Maureen,

It’s the first of the month and that means rent is due for the more than 1 million renter households in Washington. Many people who have lost jobs due to the spread of COVID-19 are scrambling to figure out how to pay. That’s a lot of people. For the week ending March 21, more than 133,000 new unemployment claims were filed – up from 6,000 the week before.

Thanks to the temporary moratorium on evictions implemented by Governor Inslee, thousands of households who can’t afford rent this month won’t lose their homes immediately. However, the moratorium expires April 17 and the road to economic recovery will be a long one, especially for low-income people. Please join us in calling on Governor Inslee to extend the moratorium, expand it to prohibit fees and cover manufactured homeowners and tenants with leases with expiration dates, and to secure funding for rental assistance.

In a crisis, we often see the best of people, and we also sometimes see the worst. We know that some landlords are looking for ways to evict tenants, even with the moratorium. If you, or someone you know, has been threatened with eviction, the Attorney General’s office can help. You can report a COVID-19 eviction complaint using this form. You can also find resources to help and a letter you can send your landlord if you can’t pay your rent at Washington Law Help.

I hope you’ll also consider sharing your story with us at our COVID-19 check-in form. You can also use that to tell us about emerging or unmet needs in your community, share information about what’s working, or ask a question about the state’s response to this crisis. We’ll use your stories to help advocate for resources, and do our best to find answers to your questions.

The Housing Alliance has also created a page of resources for affordable housing and homeless service providers, advocates, and people impacted by COVID-19. Please let us know if there’s more we can do to help. We’re in this together.

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