Establishing a housing gap voucher pilot program. Bill Information Sponsors: Braun, Lovick, Wilson, J. Companion: HB 1817 Status: (S) Housing What the bill does: Creates rental assistance vouchers through housing authorities for residents to bridge the gap between their income and their... Continue Reading
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On Tuesday, October 11, Mayor Harrell announced that the Seattle COVID Civil Emergency Proclamation will end October 31. With the end of the state of emergency, many of the Covid related restrictions specific to Seattle, will change or go away. Key changes: Rent Installment Plan requirement... Continue Reading
Remaining Covid Emergency Orders and State of Emergency to End by October 31, Governor Inslee Announces Continue Reading
City of Kenmore (Ordinance) Creates a defense to eviction where the rent was unpaid during the public health emergency or a substantial increase in expenses resulting from COVID pandemic. “Resulting from the COVID pandemic” includes: the tenant suffered a loss of employment or a... Continue Reading
On Monday January 10, 2022, the City of Spokane passed an ordinance parroting language directly from the Governor's expired eviction moratorium. Taking us back in time, the ordinance requires the following: For rent owing from February 29, 2020 – July 31, 2021: Prohibits serving a 14-day... Continue Reading
Seattle's population grew by about 50,000 people between July 2018 and May 2021, but the city saw a net loss of 785 rental properties according to Seattle’s Rental Property Registration database. Continue Reading
Governor Inslee’s eviction “Bridge” is scheduled to end on October 31. Continue Reading
In many places across the state, rents are still below pre-pandemic levels, yet costs for housing providers have continued to rise. Those increased costs directly impact the cost of rent. Continue Reading
Here's what you need to know... Continue Reading
Under the “Bridge Moratorium,” August 2021 provides a change of responsibilities for both the housing provider and tenant. Continue Reading
On Tuesday, June 29, the King County Council passed an ordinance creating local tenant protections for parts of unincorporated King County. Continue Reading
On Tuesday, June 29, 2021 the Governor published an updated moratorium on evictions, dubbed the “Bridge Moratorium.” This moratorium expands the ability to terminate a tenancy and returns most managerial functions to rental property managers. Continue Reading
Today, Governor Inslee announced he will be extending the state's eviction moratorium through September 30 by creating a bridge Proclamation. Continue Reading
On Monday June 7, the Seattle City Council passed a suite of laws further restricting evictions. Continue Reading
The Governor needs to know any extension of the eviction moratorium will affect you and exacerbate the struggles you've experienced over the past year. Continue Reading
On March 11, 2021, Governor Inslee announced the Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery plan will be transitioning from a regional approach to a county-by-county evaluation process. Continue Reading
Employers can continue to require employees wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status. Continue Reading
Councilmember Kshama Sawant recently proposed an extended ban on evictions pegged to the school year. Continue Reading
Governor Inslee announced Washington will fully reopen by June 30, 2021, if not sooner when the state reaches a 70% vaccination threshold. Continue Reading
Adhering to all CDC guidelines and beyond... Continue Reading
Communicable diseases such as COVID-19 are highly contagious viruses that pose inherent risks. By participating in classes, meetings, or events hosted by WMFHA, you hereby assert you do so voluntarily and therefore you knowingly assume any and all risks related. Continue Reading
Since the start of COVID-19, the number of housing providers selling or occupying their rental properties in Washington state has increased significantly year-over-year. This increase is largely due to the financial stress the extended eviction moratorium has caused them. Continue Reading
This is part 3 of the legislative update, focusing specifically on the just cause eviction legislation that was passed this year. Continue Reading
From the start of the pandemic it was clear some sort of legislative action would be necessary to address the return to normality. Continue Reading
Sunday marked the final day (Sine Die) of the 2021, first ever full virtual, legislative session. Since January, the WMFHA Government Affairs team has worked tirelessly on behalf of the rental housing industry to create the best path forward towards recovery and normalcy. Continue Reading
We found 91.5% of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by March 31, 2021. Continue Reading
A week from Monday, April 5, the legislature must pass policy legislation, or it is considered dead for this legislative session. Continue Reading
Lakewood rental and mortgage assistance and Pierce County rental assistance flyers with more information Continue Reading
New data released by King County shows that while the breadth of people behind on rent is historically high, the depth of the challenge may not be as big as many thought. Continue Reading
Governor Inslee Moves Counties to Phase 2 On Thursday, January 28, Governor Inslee announced that two regions will move to Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery Plan beginning Monday, February 1. The counties affected are King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties (Puget Sound region),... Continue Reading
The 2021 state legislature is now in session. Over the next several months policymakers will be deciding some of the most important pieces of legislation in years. Continue Reading
One notable change in the moratorium: housing providers are now able to access rental assistance on behalf of tenants. Continue Reading
Eviction moratorium extended to March 31, 2021 Continue Reading
Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 85% of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by December 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. Continue Reading
PAH Rent Control Research Presented to State Lawmakers PAH Rent Control Research Presented to State Lawmakers Hi Coalition Members, Last Tuesday, Morgan Shook at ECONorthwest presented the Partnership for Affordable Housing’s rent control report released. Continue Reading
Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 88.6 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by November 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. Continue Reading
The Supreme Court of Washington has authorized the creation of an Early Resolution Program (ERP) for nonpayment of rent cases only. Continue Reading
On Sunday, amid multi-day record breaking positive infection rates, the Governor announced additional restrictions on business activities. These additional restrictions take effect at 11:59 PM on Monday, November 16 and extend through December 14, 2020. Even though the increase in COVID-19 cases... Continue Reading
“We appreciate the investment in rental assistance from the state and King County as well as recent program changes to help support both residents and housing providers. There is more we can do to target protections and assistance to those who are impacted by COVID-19. First, Washington... Continue Reading
On Thursday, October 9, the Governor announced he is extending the state's eviction moratorium to December 31. Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 88.15 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by October 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This... Continue Reading
The Governor has issued updated guidance on the use of private, limited use pools that are regulated under the Washington Administrative Code 246-260. These pool facilities can now open with restrictions. You must follow the Department of Health Guidance on the reopening of pools. We continue to... Continue Reading
Rental assistance funds for residents and housing providers impacted by COVID-19 are being made available as part of local CARES Act relief funding. This is positive news for the 1.4 million people experiencing unemployment and the thousands of housing providers who are also struggling to cover cost Continue Reading
When COVID-19 hit Washington, many of HNN’s residents, who are often low-income households, faced job loss or a sudden reduction in income. Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 90 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by September 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This... Continue Reading
Guidance on CDC Order Temporarily Halting Certain Evictions Yesterday, the President’s Administration, via an Agency Order filed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Federal Register, cited a public health emergency to halt residential evictions across the... Continue Reading
Rental assistance is now available and accessible in some counties. In order to qualify for the Department of Commerce's Eviction Rent Assistance Program, a tenant must earn 50% AMI or less within the prior 60 days, have at least one month of rent that is unpaid or partially unpaid since March... Continue Reading
Living Access Support Alliance (LASA) is now accepting applications for the Lakewood COVID-19 Rent Assistance program. Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 90.52 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by August 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This... Continue Reading
In response to several questions from last week's updated Fitness Guidance, the Governor's office issued a list of FAQ to address common questions. The FAQ provide specific information for unstaffed fitness facilities like those commonly included in amenity spaces in residential apartment... Continue Reading
This week Governor Inslee updated Guidance related to the use of indoor fitness centers including gyms, fitness studios, and multi-use indoor fitness facilities, etc. The updated Guidance can be found here. This applies to all counties in Phase 2 of the Governor's Safe Start Program. The Guidance... Continue Reading
The state of Washington has allocated $100 million of CARES Act General Relief Funds to rental assistance and the Department of Commerce has set forth guidelines to make this rental assistance available and accessible to tenants and landlords across the state. Below are details of the program.... Continue Reading
A sweeping package of restrictive new housing laws is sailing through the Auburn City Council that will add to the mounting challenges housing providers are already experiencing as COVID-19 surges back. These laws do not provide residents with critical rental assistance many need to cover their... Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 91.67 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by July 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This... Continue Reading
You’re probably wondering, and your residents are asking, when will the pool open? When will the fitness center open? As counties are in different phases, it is important to note what’s open in each phase. While many businesses are open, there remains restrictions on specific... Continue Reading
We must work together to address the urgent need for affordable housing in Washington state. WMFHA has joined Partnership for Affordable Housing, a 501(c)4 nonprofit, formed out of a strong and shared interest to come together to provide effective solutions to housing affordability in... Continue Reading
The King County Council on Tuesday passed an ordinance creating additional protections in unlawful detainer proceedings for tenants of residential and commercial tenancies. The law passed 7-2A copy of the ordinance can be found here. The law applies to and affects properties in unincorporated... Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 90.48 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by June 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This is... Continue Reading
Late yesterday, Governor Inslee extended the statewide eviction moratorium an additional 60 days to August 1, 2020. A copy of the new eviction moratorium can be found here. Details of the changes can be found below. Despite real evidence that rental payments are largely being made, our members... Continue Reading
We are quickly approaching a moment that will significantly test the resiliency of our housing system amidst COVID-19 and historic unemployment. Eviction moratoriums are beginning to lift in cities and states across the country, yet many people remain out of work. Meanwhile, the extra... Continue Reading
Washington Multi-Family Housing Association conducted a survey of members to understand better the property owner consequences of the Washington Eviction Moratorium. The May survey results found an increase in non-rent material lease violations, including a more than doubling of incidents of... Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 90.35 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by May 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This is... Continue Reading
On May 11, 2020, the Seattle City Council passed two more bills affecting the landlord-tenant relationship. The laws become effective immediately upon the Mayor's signature. Each bill is described below. The law applies to properties located in the city of Seattle only. These laws, on top of the... Continue Reading
On Monday May 4, the Seattle City Council passed an ordinance that extends the eviction moratorium for nonpayment an additional 6 months after the Mayor's eviction moratorium terminates. Currently, the city of Seattle's eviction moratorium is set to expire on June 4. This is the same date the... Continue Reading
Residents across Washington who are impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19 are understandably worried about paying rent. With one-third of renters paying partial or no rent in April, and rising unemployment, it’s reasonable to expect that this number will increase in the coming weeks.... Continue Reading
Renton, Washington – Washington Multi-Family Housing Association’s (WMFHA) found 89.46 percent of statewide apartment homes made a full or partial payment by April 13, 2020. The data was collected from the association’s 267,000 professionally managed homes in the state. This is... Continue Reading
The economic impacts of the coronavirus are placing new challenges on both residents and housing providers who must work together to find solutions during this difficult time. Now more than ever, we need to do everything we can to help people remain in their homes while we ensure that our... Continue Reading
Dear WMFHA members,I write to update you on Washington's statewide eviction moratorium. I ask that you share your story with me about how the eviction moratorium is affecting the ability to properly manage your community. As you know, on March 18, Governor Inslee issued Proclamation 20-19 which... Continue Reading
Economic Injurty and Disaster Loans (EIDLs). As Monument notes, the CARES Act temporarily expands eligibility for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. What they are: An emergency loan program for federal disasters, including COVID-19. This program offers up to $2 million in assistance for fixed... Continue Reading
Dear WMFHA member,Over the past week, we've been working with our partners in the real estate industry to confirm with the state that residential property management services are considered Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers. I can report that residential property management services are... Continue Reading
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Dear WMFHA members,The manner in which we as housing providers manage this unprecedented crisis will dictate how the public will recognize us as partners in the future. As professional property managers, we are proud of the contribution residential communities add to our residents' lives and... Continue Reading
Housing providers are doing everything they can, but a long-term solution is needed to address housing during COVID-19 and beyond. COVID-19 represents a complete shock to Washington’s vital systems, infrastructure, and institutions. The virus is testing our world-class healthcare workers,... Continue Reading
Dear WMFHA members,I hope that you, your family, friends, and colleagues are staying positive during these unprecedented times. I want to update you on what we as an association are doing to support you. We rescheduled our March and April events and classes to later in the year. All registrations... Continue Reading
Assistance for Small Businesses Across the United States, multifamily communities are grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak. Social distancing is being put into place, as well as regular deep cleaning of community spaces and changes to daily operations. With April 1 around the corner, many... Continue Reading
Dear valued members,The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) yesterday announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Enterprises will offer mortgage forbearance for multifamily property owners, under the condition that they suspend all evictions for renters who are unable to pay rent because of... Continue Reading
Dear valued member, As the country and multifamily industry face unprecedented challenges due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we are doing all we can to highlight the importance of the industry before lawmakers and make sure they understand they have a responsibility to provide emergency assistance... Continue Reading
Dear WMFHA members,Today, Governor Inslee announced a shelter-in-place order called Stay Home, Stay Healthy. It goes into effect on Wednesday, March 25 at 5:30 pm. The order does the following: Requires every Washingtonian to stay home unless they need to pursue an essential activity. Bans all... Continue Reading
Last night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-33-20 mandating all individuals living in California to stay home or at their place of residence to protect public health, exempting certain essential services. This is one example of a policy that could be adopted in our state as... Continue Reading
Dear WMFHA members, Today, Governor Inslee announced a statewide eviction moratorium. The Governor's order prohibits rental housing providers from serving a 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate for default payment of rent. Housing providers are also prohibited from issuing a 20-day notice to... Continue Reading
An update on the coronavirus-related government actions. ***update March 18, 2020 - The WA Supreme Court has ordered a stay of all Writs until April 27, 2020. The following cities have enacted eviction moratoria - Seattle, Kenmore, Everett, Woodinville, and King County (sheriff -... Continue Reading
Support for King County Renters Impacted by COVID-19 King County is experiencing the highest rate of COVID-19 illness in the country and the disease is impacting many elements of daily life. Decisions to cancel or postpone public events or institute building closures are done in the interest of... Continue Reading
NMHC: Coronavirus Preparedness for Apartment Firms The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is currently monitoring a new outbreak of coronavirus, (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China and is causing respiratory illness. As apartment owners and operators prepare to mitigate and educate... Continue Reading
Dear WMFHA Members, We have received your inquiries regarding our current and future activities as it relates to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Below is a brief update and a sense of what we are doing and how we are planning for the near future. Our top priority is to help you and your business through... Continue Reading
Though the outlook for COVID-19 in Washington is uncertain, it is important to stay vigilant and current on the spread of the disease and the latest from government authorities. Visit the links below for updated information from government agencies. Updates and Information from King... Continue Reading