Pierce County Offering COVID-19 Rental Assistance

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — In March, Washington introduced an eviction moratorium to protect families who could not pay rent due to job losses and financial instability amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But the eviction moratorium is not a rent moratorium— it is set to expire August 1, and when it does renters will have to pay back all previously owed rents. Certain jurisdictions, like Seattle, have set up hard guidelines allowing renters to pay back rent in installments, but the state's moratorium itself only broadly requires landlords to offer residents a repayment plan, meaning many could see large sums of rent due very soon.

To help its residents avoid eviction and potentially homelessness, Pierce County is offering up to two months of rental assistance for struggling community members. The money is being offered as part of the county's Emergency Rental Assistance Program, though the county says normal restrictions have been loosened to help as many people as possible qualify for the assistance.

To qualify, applicants must make 80 percent or less the area median income. That means less than $48,450 a year for a single renter, or an income under $69,200 for a family of four. Rental assistance will only be paid for rent payments due after April 1, 2020.

Applicants do not need to have lost their jobs or had hours cut to qualify. Those who qualify will see the rental assistance money paid directly to their landlords.

Interested applicants can find more information or fill out the form to apply for rental assistance at Pierce County's website here.

Washington's eviction moratorium was first installed in March, it has since been extended twice.

Related: Inslee Extends Eviction Moratorium To August