Re: “King County, WA eviction levels hit an all-time high, again” (Feb. 2, Business):
As co-executive director of Be:Seattle, I work with renters across Seattle on education, outreach and organizing so they can understand and assert their rights.
Landlords often file eviction cases that rely on improper notices, incorrect charges or missed legal requirements. Almost every landlord has a lawyer in eviction court, but before Washington’s right-to-counsel program began in 2021, very few renters did. Renters are expected to identify and challenge those violations on their own, and many lose their homes by default because they do not know the law or how to navigate the process.
Access to a lawyer does not guarantee a renter will avoid eviction, but it ensures unlawful filings can be challenged and cases decided based on the law.
Cutting funding for right-to-counsel would mean losing 17 eviction defense attorneys statewide, forcing the state to absorb the cost of unlawful evictions through homelessness services instead of preventing them in court. With eviction cases at record highs, it is critical to keep the $3 million in continued funding in the state operating budget.
Kate Rubin, Seattle
