Seattle mayor extends COVID eviction moratoriums | Govt-and-politics

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SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said Tuesday that the city’s eviction moratoriums will remain in place through January 15, 2022 and will not expire at the end of September.

The Seattle Times reports that Durkan has extended the moratoria with an executive order. She cited the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and ongoing efforts to distribute rental subsidies to tenants who are behind with their payments.

Up to 60,000 residents of the Seattle area live in households with rental debt, according to a survey last month.

Seattle’s moratoria on most residential evictions and some commercial evictions have been extended six times since their inception in March 2020.

The city’s moratoriums apply to residential tenants, nonprofits, and small businesses, with small businesses being defined as those with 50 or fewer employees. Most evictions are prohibited for these tenants, including evictions for non-payment of rent, although tenants are legally required to pay rent and may accumulate debts.

Seattle requires landlords to offer payment plans and has banned late payment interest and interest. Eviction can be requested in dangerous situations.

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