CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to residential rental agreements; allowing residential tenants to pay rent in installments when the tenant is unable to timely pay rent; declaring an emergency; and establishing an immediate effective date; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
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WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, self-distancing (keeping at least 6 feet of distance between individuals) has been recommended to deter the spread of the virus; and
WHEREAS, the Governor of Washington has declared a state of emergency, prohibited gatherings of 50 or more people, and closed K-12 schools statewide in an effort to slow transmission and contraction of the disease; and
WHEREAS, such a ban in conjunction with self-distancing means cancellations of large events and a decrease in the number of people patronizing places of business, resulting in reduced work and loss of income for workers in multiple industries, including the service and entertainment industries; and
WHEREAS, a decrease in income can result in financial instability and uncertainty about how to allocate resources to continuing expenses, including rent; and
WHEREAS, the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 will increase the likelihood that tenants will have difficulty paying rent; and
WHEREAS, the Council recognizes that economic impacts from the COVID-19 emergency are likely to last much longer than the civil emergency itself and that the timing of when such impacts will cause tenants to be unable to pay rent will vary; and
WHEREAS, mitigating the housing and economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak is in the interest of the City and its residents; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor signed an emergency order, amended by the Council in Resolution 31938 on March 16, 2020, creating a moratorium on residential evictions that could last t...
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