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April 23, 2021 4:37 PM Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) A “right to counsel” measure has been signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, making Washington the first state to ensure that low-income tenants have legal representation when faced with an eviction.
The Seattle Times reports that Inslee signed the bill Thursday, and the state’s Office of Civil Legal Aid now has 90 days to draft a plan to implement the law within a year.
The new law will provide attorneys to tenants who receive certain public assistance, have been involuntarily committed to a public mental health facility, can’t afford a lawyer or who have incomes at 125% or less of the federal poverty level.
Washington governor signs eviction right to counsel bill columbian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from columbian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
It s poison pill season. by Rich Smith • Apr 15, 2021 at 9:00 am
On Wednesday morning, tenant advocates threatened to evict lawmakers who don t prioritize renters well-being. Washington Community Action Network
A few years ago Washington had some of the worst protections for renters in the country. While the state has made progress, its laws still overwhelmingly tip the balance of power toward landlords. Outside of Seattle, Auburn, Federal Way, and Burien, for instance, landlords can boot month-to-month tenants for no reason with only 20 days notice. And even within Seattle, landlords can kick you out at the end of any lease without giving a reason (for now).
A "right to counsel" measure that is getting closer to approval by the Legislature would make Washington the first state to ensure that low-income tenants have legal representation when faced with an eviction.
April 12, 2021
Washington may soon become the first state in the country to ensure that low-income tenants have legal representation when faced with an eviction, an idea lawmakers see as a way to head off a feared wave of evictions once pandemic-era rental restrictions are lifted.
A bill likely to pass the state Legislature follows years of organizing by tenant advocates across the country who say guaranteeing lawyers for tenants during evictions, also known as “right to counsel,” keeps people in their homes at far higher rates than the current system. Yet a last-minute amendment added to the bill would also lift the state’s moratorium on evictions less than three months from now, raising alarm from advocates who say that’s not enough time to ready the state for a potential “eviction cliff.”