Tenant Law Center

“Eviction is a cause, not just a condition, of poverty.”
― Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Eviction is a traumatizing experience that ruins the lives of families and directly contributes to the homelessness crisis. It is often completely preventable. Here at Tenant Law Center, we provide free legal counsel, representation, and education to help tenants navigate a process that is complicated, confusing, and often overwhelming. 

According to a recent report by KUOW*, there has been a 30% increase in eviction orders in King County this year. It is an all-time record.  Many of these evictions can be prevented by Tenant Law Center early intervention. To help end the homelessness crisis, we need to keep good tenants from being evicted without cause. Additionally, we save housing subsidies, help homeless veterans become legally eligible for rentals, and help people stay in their homes with reasonable accommodations. We support many other CCS programs that help people get into housing, so that these newly housed clients are not evicted for a small misunderstanding. We have seen significant cuts to our budget from the state and need your help more than ever. 

We know that each person who reaches out for help is not just a number, and it is our privilege to assist individuals facing one of the most vulnerable times in their life. Here are just a few of the people we’ve been able to help:

• a mother whose teenage son committed suicide in her apartment, only to be served an eviction notice days later with 3 days to vacate based on “the use of an illegal firearm [which] was discharged causing the death of a minor child.”
• a father whose home was so badly neglected that mushrooms were literally growing out of his carpet, making his children so sick their doctor called us for help.
• a woman who grew tired of being charged a monthly surcharge for a broken washer and dryer and was subsequently facing eviction for nonpayment of rent and was in danger of losing her Housing Choice Voucher. 

The ripple effects of eviction are devastating for individuals, families, and our society at large. With your help, the Tenant Law Center can continue these valuable services and help keep families where they belong — in their own homes. 

*https://www.kuow.org/stories/king-county-judges-processing-crush-of-record-eviction-cases-call-march-numbers-shocking