The hidden cost of renting: The fight against junk fees
ShaWayne Hodges, a single mother of five in Vancouver, Washington, found herself facing an unexpected $250 charge from her property management company, Zenith Properties NW. The reason? Her grass had turned brown during a summer heat wave. This fee, along with numerous others, quickly accumulated to around $3,000, a staggering amount for a low-income tenant […]
Alice* avoided foreclosure by predatory lender
After settling in Washington to be close to family, I embarked on the journey of becoming a homeowner. I wanted a place my children could always call home. I qualified for a United States Department of Agriculture home loan and felt confident that the mortgage rate would be affordable while I built equity. I hired […]
NJP Attorney Carrie Graf: Preventing evictions, protecting human dignity
Interview with NJP attorney Carrie Graf: Whenever a tenancy can be saved, it must be saved Q: Why did you decide to become a legal aid lawyer and practice housing law? During my second summer of law school, I interned with Legal Aid in Minneapolis. On my first day in eviction court, I saw a […]
NJP in the News: Keeping a litigious corporate landlord in check
A lawsuit against discrimination in housing, filed in 2019, may now help keep the same property owners in check, as they scoop up three new properties in Tacoma. Robert Elon Mix, a disabled veteran, sued Dimension Townhouses LLC and its affiliate after they acquired his apartment complex and altered payment terms, leading to late fees […]
Advocacy Update: U.S. Supreme Court rolls back protection for homeless individuals
On June 28, 2024, the United States Supreme Court determined that cities may arrest and banish homeless residents who sleep or shelter outdoors in the city, even when they have nowhere else to sleep or the city does not provide access to shelter indoors. The decision, in favor of Grants Pass, Oregon, overturned the 2018 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Martin v. Boise, which had found the practice of penalizing people for sleeping outside if no shelter was available to be “cruel and unusual punishment.”
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Justice in Action and Beyond – Reflections on 17+ years at Northwest Justice Project
As I prepare to retire as Executive Director of Northwest Justice Project (NJP) at the end of this month, I have been reflecting on the incredible privilege it has been for me to serve in this role, and on where NJP is today. In that regard, I am thrilled that Director of Advocacy Abigail Daquiz and Deputy Director/General Counsel Hickory Gateless – two senior members of our outstanding leadership team – will serve as interim co-executive directors during the transition to NJP’s next executive director.
Victory for Survivors of Domestic Violence in U.S. Supreme Court; Gun Ban for Abusers Confirmed
Most evictions in Washington State never go to court. They are resolved through settlements between landlords and tenants. After Kathleen and Aaron Allen, mother and daughter, were threatened with eviction, they agreed to a settlement with their landlord, Princeton Property Management.
Kathleen and Aaron Allen: Tenant victory with statewide impact
Most evictions in Washington State never go to court. They are resolved through settlements between landlords and tenants. After Kathleen and Aaron Allen, mother and daughter, were threatened with eviction, they agreed to a settlement with their landlord, Princeton Property Management.
NJP Client Angela Overcomes Property Tax Foreclosure
Angela, a Tacoma homeowner raising her teenage daughter and three grandchildren, faced foreclosure due to unpaid property taxes.
Press Release: Washington Appeals Court: Eviction Settlements that Strip Tenants’ Rights Are Void
SEATTLE, WA – April 5, 2024 – The Elves for the Homeless and four unhoused individuals residing in Clarkston, Washington, filed a lawsuit today challenging the city of Clarkston's Ordinance 1706 as unconstitutional and in violation of the American with Disabilities Act.