Wallingford Community Council Hosts Tenants’ Rights Bootcamp

On April 5, 2017 the Wallingford Community Council hosted a meeting for renters, landlords and single-family home owners. The meeting was put on by the Tenants Rights Bootcamp, a partnership between BE:SEATTLE and the Catholic Community Services Legal Action Center. Devin Silvernail, Executive Director of Be:Seattle conducted the meeting and Maureen Roat, Senior Staff Attorney for the Legal Action Center presented the legal aspects as well as answered questions from the audience.

The meeting resulted in a wonderful dialogue between renters and landlords which provided a better understanding of each other’s position, concerns and issues that each is facing in today’s Seattle housing market. For example, there was a discussion on how the recently passed tax levies have raised property taxes to point that landlords have been forced to raise rents to cover the increases in taxes. The bootcamp presenters also covered how renters should handle complaints about property repairs, discrimination, eviction notices, and the importance of maintaining proper records regarding repairs and other issues between renters and landlords. Below is a list of important resources that was handed out for both renters and landlords.

• King County 2-1-1                                   Call 211
• Solid Ground                                           (206) 694-6767
• Tenants Union of Washington State  (206) 723-0500
• Legal Action Center                               (206) 324-6890
• Housing Justice Project                        http://www.kcba.org/pbs/HJP.aspx
• Neighborhood Legal Clinics                http://www.kcba.org/pbs/NLC.aspx

The meeting provided a forum for mutual learning of rental issues and concerns that exist in the Wallingford community for both renters and property owners. The single family home owners in attendance also learned a great deal about the issues that their rental neighbors were experiencing. At the end of the meeting all attendees were better educated as it pertains to the issues of affordability and livability that everyone is Wallingford is experiencing regardless of whether they are renters, landlords or single family homeowners. The bottom line is — We are all in the together.
The Wallingford Community Council was pleased to host his event and encourage all residents, renters and homeowners, to attend it monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month at the Good Shepherd Center, Room 202, 4659 Sunnyside at 7PM.