Spokane residents affected by disasters now have some protections if they are unable to pay rent.
The Spokane City Council voted 5–2 Wednesday to approve new emergency protections for tenants impacted by wildfires or other disasters.
The ordinance applies while city-declared emergencies are in effect and gives eligible tenants 12 months to make up missed payments. Landlords cannot charge late fees or penalties during that time.
To be eligible, tenants must have lost at least 10% of their average monthly income because of a disaster. They also must have applied for some form of income assistance.
Council member Kate Telis voted for the measure.
“This seems exactly like what we should be doing and how we should be supporting those who need help most,” she said.
Though the ordinance is in response to recent wildfires, it will apply to any future emergency that the city declares.
Council member Paul Dillon, who cosponsored the ordinance, believes that Spokane is one of the first cities to include a future emergency guarantee in this kind of legislation. He said he’s proud of the Spokane ordinance for that reason.
“I think it was really important for us to think long term and as a legislative body to make sure that we are prepared,” he said. “I heard from a lot of advocates and council members, too — we don’t want to have to keep continuing to re-up this policy to have something that is in place.”
Council members Betsy Wilkerson and Michael Cathcart voted against the eviction moratorium. They cited concerns about its effect on landlords, as well as whether it should apply automatically during future emergencies.
“Every emergency is different, so every emergency requires a different way to address it,” Cathcart said.
Cathcart introduced an amendment that would have prevented the moratorium from automatically applying during future emergencies. The council voted against it 5–2.
The moratorium took effect immediately following the council’s vote Wednesday night.
This story was edited with support from the Northwest News Network, a partnership of public media stations in the Pacific Northwest.
