Tenants Union of
Washington State
Spokane Homeless Coalition
June 1, 2017
“Preventing Homelessness Through Housing Stability
and Tenant Protection”
History and Mission of the TU
• Founded in 1977 – Look for our 40th Birthday Celebration in the Fall
• Mission Statement
• Tenant education and organizing
• Walk-In Tenant Education Clinics and Tenants’ Rights Hotline
• HUD Project Based Housing Tenants
• Local, State and Federal Rental Housing Policies
Spokane Tenant Issues
• 45% of Spokane residents rent their home, of those 47% pay more than
30% of monthly income on rent Many P. (U.S. Census)
• Vacancy rate for rental housing in Spokane is less than 1%, 0% in
subsidized housing
• Over 75% of rental housing is over 80 years old. (city of Spokane data)
• No rental registry or inspection in Spokane.
• No regulation of fair market rental housing conditions and/or costs
Spokane Tenant Issues (cont.)
• Little safety net and resources for at-risk and low income tenants
• Limited rental assistance
• Limited relocation assistance
• Landlords living outside of Spokane, difficult to contact and respond.
• High poverty rate and not enough affordable housing programs.
• Due to limited funding only 12 out of 100 tenants who are otherwise eligible for
housing subsidies receive them leaving 88% to live in market rate “affordable”
housing. (Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium)
Common Tenant Concerns in Spokane
• Requests for Repairs Including Bedbugs and Other Infestations
• Washington State Residential Landlord Tenant Act- remedies
• Tenant’s rights, landlord’s responsibilities
• Expectations and remedies
• Failure to Repair
• Tenant’s rights and realities
• Who enforces the law?
• Notices to Terminate Tenancy
• Notices for Cause
• No Cause Notice
Common Tenant Concerns, (cont.)
• Evictions
• Little or no available legal representation for tenants who cannot pay an attorney
• Fear and anxiety cause tenants to avoid appearing in court resulting in a default judgment
• How to remove an eviction from public records
• Sub-standard Housing Conditions
• Few city resources, tenants must pay for inspections that could result in their being evicted
• Without permission inspectors cannot enter the home
• Excessive Move-In Costs
• Notices to Increase Rent
• Refusal to return damage deposits
Why Tenant Empowerment?
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Without an attorney, the tenant must represent themselves in court
Tenant must initiate the actions for repair
Power imbalance in landlord-tenant relationship
Rental housing policies need the voices of tenants
Housing is a human right and vulnerable communities live at risk of
homelessness more than others
• Becoming powerful and confident can overcome fear and shame
Moving Toward Housing Justice
• End No Cause Evictions
• Current law allows for a tenancy to end with a 20 day written notice for no reason
whatsoever. This means that a tenant who is current in rent and never in violation of the
rental agreement may be forced to move out of their home.
• A 20 day notice to terminate will become a no cause eviction if the tenant does not move. This
leads to unnecessary homelessness (short timeline, high moving costs, low vacancy rates)
• Since no reason is required for termination it provides a legal screen to hide discrimination
and retaliation.
• Fear of eviction is the number one reason tenants do not seek repairs or report substandard
housing conditions. Tenants are afraid to organize and make complaints.
• No cause terminations render other tenant protections such as rental inspections and
nondiscrimination of source of income less effective.
Moving Toward Housing Justice (cont.)
• Fair market rental housing accountability
• Rental inspection and registry that will identify rental property owners to aid in
notification to landlords and establish housing quality standards for rental housing.
• Rental housing relocation as described in the Landlord-Tenant Act to hold property
owners responsible for condemned property.
• Ending discrimination against source of income
• The city of Spokane enacted a Human Rights chapter to the municipal code ending
discrimination against tenants who use vouchers or other source of income to pay
rent. The calculation of income must not allow this practice to continue.
Moving Toward Housing Justice (cont.)
• Allow tenants more time to pay move in costs
• There are no laws limiting fees and deposits required to move in
• Low vacancy rate is causing an increase in monthly rent
• Excessive move in costs lead to increased homelessness
• Allow more notice when rent is increased more than 10%
• Rent is on the increase in Spokane due to severe shortage of rental housing
• Tenants occupying an entire building are being served 20 day notices to move to
upgrade units and increase rent
• Ending discrimination against tenants with a criminal background
City of Spokane and Rental Housing
• Housing Quality Workgroup- Community Forums
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Northeast Community Center: Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
West Central Community Center: Wednesday, June 14, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
East Side Library: Thursday, June 15, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Housing Forum: Thursday, June 29, Location TBD, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
• Mayor’s Task Force on Affordable and Quality Housing
• Spokane City Councilmembers Karen Stratton and Amber Waldref
• Spokane Human Rights Commission
TU Walk-in Clinics, Hotline & Monthly
Tenant Meetings
Walk-In Tenant Education Clinics:
• Every Tuesday, American Indian Community Center at E. 610 North Foothills
Drive 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, Valley Partners E. 10649 Broadway 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• Every Thursday, HFCA W. 19 Pacific Ave 1:30- 3:30 p.m.
Tenant Rights Hotline: 1-206-723-0500
Next Monthly Tenant Meeting: June 21, 2017 5:30 p.m. Community
Building Lobby W. 35 Main Ave.
Thank You!
• For More Information:
• Terri Anderson, Community Organizer, Tenants Union of
Washington State, (509) 464-7620
[email protected]