PHOTO: CREDIT: KUOW PHOTO/MEGAN FARMER
First of all, the eviction process is a civil lawsuit. So, the answer to dealing with the potential surge in evictions had to do with the court process out of the gate. I am an attorney by trade. I know the value of having good representation when you’re in court.
We looked at the data from other places where this is in effect. No state has legislated it, but other cities have done it. And the results are really startling. Well over 80% of the tenancies are saved. And in the end, what we’re trying to do here is help tenants stay in their homes and help landlords get paid.
The litigation process can be complicated. The RLTA (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act) is very difficult for some to understand. Tenants a lot of times come in and they’re not really prepared for what this means. This could mean that they’re out on the street and homeless.