CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the termination of residential rental tenancies; providing a defense to eviction for rent due during the City's COVID-19 civil emergency; and amending Section 22.206.160 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, the Washington Governor issued Proclamation 20-05, proclaiming a state of emergency for all counties throughout the state of Washington in response to new cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); and
WHEREAS, on March 3, 2020, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan proclaimed a civil emergency in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, on March 5, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution 31937 affirming the civil emergency, modifying orders transmitted by the Mayor related to the emergency, and establishing Council's expectations related to future orders and reporting by the Mayor during the civil emergency; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 is officially a global pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a national state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, as of May 7, 2021, the State of Washington has confirmed 382,578 COVID-19 infections and 5,564 residents of Washington have died of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, cancellations of large events and a decrease in the number of people patronizing places of business, has resulted 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, more than half of Seattle's residents are renters, and even before COVID-19, a substanti...
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