As state eviction moratorium ‘bridged,’ here’s where to get help in Whatcom County
Thursday’s announcement that the state is “bridging” the end of the eviction moratorium is welcome news in Whatcom County not only for those facing a difficult housing situation but for those with the job of providing help.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a “bridge” transition to help prevent people from being kicked out of rental homes. It has a variety of measures in place to try and help the renter and landlord, but the overall goal of the transition is that those who are actively working with their landlords on a payment plan and are seeking financial assistance from the state won’t face eviction notices through Sept. 30.
The hope is that this will make the transition easier as the eviction moratorium put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire at the end of June. If the moratorium had expired at the end of June with no transition rules in place, it would have made things more challenging for renters and increased evictions, said Greg Winter, executive director at the Opportunity Council.
“For all communities, this gives more breathing room to get this public funding out,” in a way that allows them to put proper oversight in place, Winter said in a telephone interview.
Winter said they’ve increased staffing from six to 14 to handle the increase in people requesting assistance. The funding is currently available, but his concern before the governor’s announcement was getting it processed and out to those who need it before landlords started the eviction process. Right now the agency has the capacity to handle about 400 households a month, getting about $2 million out in assistance into the community in that time period.
Overall, landlords are very willing to work with tenants in a way that avoids the eviction process, Winter said. However, there is some anxiety because this is a new process and the amount of time it can take to get the funding. That stress is higher with landlords who have only one or a few rental properties and are counting on the rent to pay for other expenses.
The most common situation that the Opportunity Council is seeing through this rental assistance program is people who lost their job at some point in the pandemic and have either been unemployed for a long time or have tried to cobble together some part-time work. The program is also seeing a lot of families with children in single-parent situations, Winter said.
While businesses are hiring again, Winter said they are expecting it to be a bumpy ride for some renters as they navigate the rehiring process.
Getting assistance
▪ Opportunity Council provides limited financial assistance for rent and utilities. Appointments become available the first business day of each month. Thursday is July 1. Landlords or tenants can apply online at oppco.org/whatcomrentalassistance or leave a voicemail at 360-746-3826. For more information regarding rental assistance contact Opportunity Council 360-734–5121.
▪ The attorneys of LAW Advocates can provide free consultation to low-income tenants and help renters with rental assistance applications. Call 360-671-6079, ext. 15, and leave a message.
▪ The attorneys with the Northwest Justice Project can help those being sued for eviction at no charge. For details, call 855-657-8387 or apply online at nwjustice.org/applyonline.
▪ The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center can provide mediation services between landlords and tenants for free. Details can be found at whatcomdrc.org or by calling 360-676-0122.
