HomeMy WebLinkAboutGovernor Inslee Expand Moratorium on Rental Evictions DocuSign Envelope ID:5517C74B-E582-4984-86BA-6COB87A84806
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Ir Pot GELES 321 East Fifth Street
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WASH I NGTON , U . S . Port Angeles, WA 98362
June 18,2021
Governor Jay Inslee
Officer of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002
And Via Email jayjnsl.ee.(g��,
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RE: Request to Expand Moratorium on Rental Evictions
Dear Honorable Governor Inslee:
We want to express sincere gratitude for your decision on March 18, 2020 to order a moratorium on rental
evictions throughout the State of Washington during the COIVID -19 pandemic.Very soon, this
extension will expire,but many tenants in our community at this time still are financially stressed by the
pandemic and are not able to resume normal rental payments. Expiration of the moratorium could cause
numerous individuals in Port Angeles to become homeless and undo the hard work that you and your staff
have done to prevent that outcome.
We urge you to extend the eviction moratorium until the 2021 legislative measures on landlord tenant law
(specifically night to counsel and mediation requirements for evictions), and rental assistance funds, are in
place. This could be done on a per-county basis as each county is setting up the night to counsel and
mediation processes differently. In many counties it is unlikely that these mechanisms will be fully ready
by the first of July.
The City or Port Angeles agrees that prevention of losing one's home through residential eviction should
be our highest priority and we are greatly concerned with the potential financial burden these tenants face
the day the moratorium is lifted. Additional fees and interest accumulated during the COVID-19
emergency will present an overwhelming challenge the date the proclamation expires.
Please assist the City of Port Angeles and local governments throughout our State to avert an eviction
cliff which could arrive shortly after your important proclamation ends.
Thank you for your continued leadership through the COVID-19 crisis. These important actions you take
to extend the eviction moratorium will provide crucial ongoing assistance to families,individuals, and
small businesses.
Sincerely,
IDocuSigned by:
F 0451155E409,..
Kate exter
Mayor