Paving a Path to Recovery, Not Homelessness
Council President M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide), Chair of the Governance & Education Committee, issued the following statement after Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced an extension of the eviction moratorium to June 30, 2021:
“Today, Seattle families worried about their housing stability at month’s end, can breathe a sigh of relief. I thank Mayor Durkan for her announcement that she will extend the City of Seattle’s eviction moratorium.
“For months, our constituents have expressed fear about what an end to the eviction moratorium would mean for their housing stability. An extension of the eviction moratorium means eviction is one less thing that families need to worry about as the city works to implement additional rental assistance to provide people with relief. We know that thousands of Seattle residents are still out of work and may continue to struggle to catch up on rent. This moratorium is necessary to ensure people are on a path to recovery not a path to homelessness.
“This eviction moratorium extension builds upon critical, pandemic-related tenant protection bills that I sponsored last year, including establishing a COVID-19 eviction defense and providing payment plans for people after the eviction moratoriums end.
“All of these measures, along with the City’s additional $23 million for new rental assistance, proposed state legislation, and federal funding from the American Rescue Plan will protect tenants from facing the eviction moratorium cliff and further negative financial impacts.
“As our economy begins to improve and businesses return to normal operations, people will need time to catch up and this extended, eviction moratorium is key to our recovery efforts.”