Saturday, March 14, 2020

To Mayor Woodards and Tacoma City Council:

Washington is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., and it is devastating our community: financially, medically, and personally. People may find it impossible to pay their rent or mortgage. Unless you take swift and direct action to stabilize housing for all residents of Tacoma, there will be coronavirus bankruptcies.

We, the undersigned, join with Rebecca Parson 2020 and the Tacoma Tenants Organizing Committee in calling on you to take immediate action in order to protect those most economically affected by the social distancing measures that Governor Inslee has instituted. Specifically, we call on you to exercise your power to:

1. Ban economic evictions and late fees citywide — for both residential and small-business renters — until Governor Inslee ends all social distancing measures and job losses have ceased.

2. Establish an emergency fund for renters experiencing financial burdens due to work shortages, complete job loss, caring for sick or at-risk relatives, or school closures.

3. Require utilities and landlords to negotiate payment plans with tenants and homeowners who are economically burdened due to coronavirus — providing a minimum of 12 months to fulfill their payment obligations. Otherwise, tenants and homeowners will face bankruptcy-inducing debt.

4. Create more immediate emergency housing for our unhoused neighbors, as they are the most at-risk group in Tacoma.

5. Stop the sweeps until adequate shelter is set up for all unsheltered people.


Paid for by Rebecca Parson 2020.