By Abigail Daquiz and Sandra Miller
Eviction is a crisis that sends waves through the community — and those waves are rising fast in Washington state, where eviction filings have surged 50% above pandemic levels.
After eviction, tenants can end up homeless. It’s a hardship shared by many as landlords refuse to rent to those with an eviction on their record. Families couch surf, crowd into motels, sleep in cars, temporary shelters, or on the streets.
Now, the state Legislature will decide to fully fund the Eviction Prevention Program or enact a $3 million cut that would deny 2,000 renters legal representation in court.
This decision — tucked into Gov. Bob Ferguson’s supplemental budget proposal — demands our attention.
As leaders of two legal service organizations, Northwest Justice Project and Sound Legal Aid, we know what’s at stake. When tenants have to go to court alone, they almost always lose, and research shows eviction more than triples the risk of homelessness.
Here is the cruel irony: this cut wouldn’t save Washington money.