Washington Authorizes $100 Million In Rental Assistance

SEATTLE, WA — Washington state will be using $100 million of its CARES Act funding to help pay rent for families struggling to keep their homes amid the pandemic.

The rent assistance program, which launched at the beginning of the month, is focused on preventing evictions by paying up to three months of rent to landlords for those who cannot afford to pay it themselves. The money can be used to pay rent that is past due, current, or even future rent for financially unstable households. Organizers say the program is on track to begin distributing money sometime later this week.

According to the Washington State Department of Commerce the money will be necessary to prevent a wave of new evictions, which could be catastrophic considering Washington is already in the midst of a homelessness crisis.

“Funds addressing Washington’s homelessness crisis were limited before the pandemic, and the need is deepening as this pandemic continues to push more people toward the brink while we work to carefully reopen our economy,” Commerce Director Lisa Brown said. “We are targeting limited resources as quickly and equitably as possible, to those with the greatest needs.”

The Department of Commerce says a recent survey found as much as 17 percent of Washington residents could not pay their rent in July. That's in large part because of job losses amid the pandemic: the state's unemployment rate has grown 12 percent since February - two times as much as the worst point in the Great Recession.

The $100 million will be distributed through the Consolidated Homeless Grant program and the Office of Homeless Youth. Organizers say they intend the money to be given equitably, with a focus on minority communities who have disproportionately suffered during the pandemic. That includes ethnic and racial minorities, Native Americans, immigrants or refugees, LGBTQ+ community members, and those who are disabled. More information on how the process will work can be found on the Department of Commerce's website.