Title
Tenant Relocation Assistance Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive an overview of local government relocation programs and options that Olympia could explore to reduce the risk of homelessness and other hardships associated with no-cause evictions. Briefing only; No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Whether to discuss the ways cities mitigate impacts of no-fault and other evictions from rental housing.
Staff Contact:
Cary Retlin, Home Fund Manager, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3956
Presenter(s):
Cary Retlin, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
General Government requested that staff provide an overview of local government relocation programs and options that Olympia could explore to reduce the risk of homelessness and other hardships associated with no-cause evictions. Rental households now make up a majority, 53 percent, of Olympia households. As Olympia has grown and our vacancy rate has decreased, rents have increased along with the pressure to renovate rental units and terminate rental agreements at no fault of the tenant.
Relocation Programs
Cities around the country have explored different ways to reduce the impact of termination of tenancy and eviction on renters. There are two primary ways of funding those programs.
One method requires that landlords register with the city and pay a fee that funds services that could include relocation assistance. The City of Corvallis, Oregon, is a nearby example. Opportunities with that model include the ability to provide other services with the funds, like conflict resolution or damage to rental units. Challenges include registering and collecting fees from landlords, and the possibility that relocation assistance owed may exceed program income (a problem frequently faced by the Washington State Mobile Home Relocation Program). That model could be staffed by the city or contracted t...
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