Council approves rental mitigation fund and eviction-notice corrections; advocates raise landlord retaliation concerns

Spokane City Council approved Ordinance C36900 to create a residential rental property mitigation fund to support the city’s eviction-prevention programs and enacted technical corrections to notice requirements for residential evictions (Ordinance C36896). Council discussion noted that existing mitigation dollars in the referenced fund were relatively limited (a councilmember said the current balance is "under $100,000"), and that some mitigation efforts remain dependent on state funds.

Public commenters described ongoing landlord retaliation and practical barriers for tenants seeking help. Rick Bocock described repeated retaliation and difficulties securing legal assistance while living on SSI; Councilmembers said the mitigation fund language would allow flexibility to use available dollars for eviction-prevention efforts and emphasized the need to maximize state and other resources to support tenants and landlords in navigating eviction timelines.