Even after we manage to contain the public health crisis brought on by Covid-19, the danger isn’t over in Spokane. The economic crisis has left thousands of people without steady employment and, as a result, thousands of our neighbors are behind on their utility bills and behind on rent.
This almost exclusively affects the poor, and because of our nation’s legacy of white supremacy and Spokane’s history of redlining, that burden disproportionately impacts people of color.
It’s not a good scene.
Washington state has a temporary eviction moratorium in place but that’s like a finger in the dike. It’s holding back disaster for now, but unless we take serious action, there’s no stopping a flood of evictions.
The good news is, there’s a path to mitigating the short term crisis while also creating a fairer and more just legal and support system for renters from here on out.
We talk about all of this and more with Terri Anderson, Spokane Director and Policy Lead for the Tenants Union of Washington this week on the podcast.
TAKE ACTION
Contact your state senator about:
SB 5160 | Offramp from the moratorium that helps tenants stay housed
SB 5169 | Prohibits rent increases for six months after the moratorium & limits increases to no more than CPI from six months to one year.
Contact your state reps about:
HB 1236 | Just cause evictions
HB 1300 | Damage deposit reform.
Contact the Tenants Union
Call 509-464-7620
Email Terri at terria@tenantsunion.org.
FURTHER LISTENING
EPISODE 20 | House Money feat. Ben Stuckart
FURTHER READING
The impending rental tsunami | Spokesman-Review
GOOFS
If you like your RANGE, you can support it:
Recorded at Speak Studios. Check ‘em out.
Housing in Crisis feat. Terri Anderson