Title 10 Regulation of Activities
Division II. License Code
Chapter 10.57 Regulation of Residential Rental Housing
Section 10.57.100 Legal Services and Relocation Program
City of Spokane is authorized to use monies from the Legal Services and Relocation Fund to contract with another entity to provide attorne y services for landlord and tenant legal services and mediation costs, with a focus on habitability and violations of the Chapter 59.18 RCW - Residential Landlord Tenant Act (“RLTA”). The city investment would provide seed mone y for first year of salary and bene fits for an attorne y and reasonable litigation costs, including mediation fees. Legal fees from successful representation would be used to sustain the attorne y(s) and associated costs for the long term.
The City is further authorized to disburse monies from the Legal Services and Relocation Fund to provide immediate relocation funds to tenants living in rental units that are below the standards of habitability and likely to be able to recover relocation funds from their landlord, which will reimburse the fund. The City is also authorized to disburse monies from the Legal Services and Relocation Fund to landlords to assist with tenant removal or relocation. The attorne y described in Section A shall establish an application, review, and appeals process for the relocation fund program.
Minimum program requirements:
A program that focuses on pursuing legal remedies for rental housing units that clearly fall below standard of habitability define d in the Spokane Municipal Code and/or violate the RLTA in consultation with Code Enforcement.
A program that provides prompt relocation funds from City directly to the tenant once it appears to the attorne y described in Section A that a landlord is more likely than not to be held liable under state law and then collects from the landlord and any settlement funds as first priority a reimbursement to the relocation funds advanced and any attorne y fees that could be used to fund the attorne y positions in the future.
A program that builds increased capacity for these services, including education and outreach.
Services provided under this section may only be provided to individuals from households with incomes less than 400% of the federal poverty level.
Date Passed: Monday, March 27, 2023
Effective Date: Wedne sday, April 26, 2023
ORD C36366 Section 1