SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane City Council introduced an ordinance yesterday designed to shield renters from eviction if they suffered significant financial hardship from the Spokane area fires.
The proposed ordinance would protect people who experienced at least a 10% reduction in income due to the fires, preventing them from losing their homes if they cannot pay rent during the recovery period.
The move comes after Governor Bob Ferguson’s eviction moratorium expired on August 25th. That temporary protection had safeguarded fire-affected renters from eviction while they worked to rebuild their finances.
“The way this ordinance is written is that it would affect future emergencies whether that is a civil emergency or weather related,” said Paul Dillon, Spokane District 2 Councilman. “I wish we could go back in time and have this ordinance in place, these natural disasters are not going to go away.”
The ordinance represents the council’s effort to establish a lasting framework for protecting vulnerable renters during crises.
The council will bring the ordinance before the full body at their next meeting on September 2nd for further consideration and potential approval.
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