Washington Rent Relief: Where Renters Turn Now That the Pandemic Programs Have Ended

How Washington rent relief programs wound down

Washington moved a lot of rent money during the pandemic. The Department of Commerce started an Eviction Rent Assistance Program in 2020 with federal CARES Act funds, then ran the federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) dollars through county grantees under the Treasury Rent Assistance Program. Large counties also ran their own ERA programs. King County's was called the Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program, or EPRAP.

Those programs are closed. King County's EPRAP stopped taking applications and now points renters to United Way of King County. The U.S. Treasury's ERA program page states that the final federal period of performance ended September 30, 2025, so no ERA-funded program can reopen.

Two pandemic-era protections have also ended. The statewide Eviction Resolution Pilot Program, which made landlords offer mediation before filing for unpaid rent, expired July 1, 2023, according to the code reviser's note on RCW 59.18.630. The special repayment-plan rules in that same law applied only to rent that built up during the COVID emergency.

What remains is a mix of state money, county funds, and local charity budgets. It is smaller and more competitive than the pandemic programs, so it helps to apply in more than one place.

Where to start, by situation

State eviction prevention money through Commerce

Washington created a permanent Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program in state law. Under RCW 43.185C.185, Commerce gives grants to local organizations, which use the money for:

• rental assistance, including back rent and future rent if that is what it takes to stabilize your housing;
• utility help, if needed to prevent an eviction; and
• limited administrative costs.

To qualify, a household's income must be at or below 80% of the county's area median income. The law aims the money at people most likely to become homeless or suffer serious health harm after an eviction, such as families with children, people living doubled up, young adults, and seniors. A landlord may help you apply, or apply on your behalf.

Commerce also funds the Consolidated Homeless Grant, which pays for each county's homeless crisis response system, including prevention for people about to lose housing. Commerce does not hand out help itself. You reach these programs through your county's Coordinated Entry sites or a local agency. Washington 211 keeps a database of more than 17,000 resource listings and can tell you which local agency holds the money in your county this month.

King County and Seattle programs

King County's current rent program for renters who owe back rent is run with United Way of King County. You may be eligible if:

• you live in King County;
• you owe back rent at your current address;
• your household income is at or below 80% of area median income; and
• your landlord agrees to take part.

You start by completing a Client Intake Form and saving your Record ID. Selection is random, because demand is far higher than funding, and United Way says it cannot move anyone up the list. If you are not picked in one round, you stay on the waitlist and do not need to reapply. If you are picked, a case manager contacts you, and payments typically reach the landlord within two to four weeks. The program does not cover move-in costs, rent owed at a previous address, or help finding housing.

Seattle is adding more. In June 2026 the Seattle Human Services Department announced about $8 million for 2027 for rental assistance, eviction prevention, legal services, and case management, expected to help about 1,000 households a year. The plan includes a new centralized application. The same city announcement reported 8,732 evictions in King County in 2025, a record. Until the new process opens, call 211 and United Way.

If you have court papers in King County, the King County Bar Association's Housing Justice Project provides appointed counsel for eligible tenants. The screening line below will route you there.

Help in other Washington counties

Outside King County, rent help is usually run by the county's homeless housing lead agency or a community action agency. Names and rules vary, so 211 is the fastest way to find the right office. A few examples:

• Spokane County: SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners) is the area's community action agency and has served the region for 60 years.
• Pierce County: the county created an ongoing Eviction Prevention program after running pandemic rental assistance. Ask 211 for the current intake steps.
• Smaller counties: community action agencies often run both rent and energy help. Ask about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program too, because a lower power bill can free up money for rent.

Our Washington State rental assistance guide covers who usually qualifies, charities, and Washington's rent increase cap. For cash help from DSHS, such as Diversion Cash Assistance or Additional Requirements for Emergent Needs, see our Washington hardship relief guide.

How a rental assistance pledge protects you

Washington law gives real weight to a written promise of payment from a government or nonprofit program. Under RCW 59.18.410:

• Before the notice expires: the landlord must accept a pledge of emergency rental assistance that covers the full rent owed under the rental agreement.
• After the notice expires: the landlord must still accept a written pledge if it helps cover the total due, including current rent and other amounts the law allows.
• The court case pauses: the landlord must suspend any court action for 14 court days after giving the agency the payment information it needs.
• No extra strings: by accepting a pledge, the landlord cannot require new conditions unrelated to the payment paperwork.
• More time after judgment: a tenant with a pledge letter can reinstate the tenancy up until the date of eviction, instead of only within five court days.

So ask every agency you contact for a written pledge, not just a verbal "you're approved." Give a copy to your landlord, the landlord's lawyer, and the court, and keep one yourself.

From notice to sheriff: the court timeline

Most evictions for unpaid rent in Washington follow the same path. Knowing each step tells you where you still have options.

The 14-day notice

The landlord must serve a 14-day notice to pay or vacate on the form set by RCW 59.18.057. It lists rent, utilities, and other recurring charges owed, and says any payment goes first to that total. You may pay by nonelectronic means such as a cashier's check or money order. The form must also list the screening line, 211, the Northwest Justice Project CLEAR hotline (888-201-1014, or 888-387-7111 for people 60 and older), and Dispute Resolution Centers.

Summons and show cause hearing

If you do not pay or move, the landlord can file an unlawful detainer case. The eviction summons gives a deadline for your written response. If you miss it, you can lose the chance to defend yourself and to get a lawyer. The landlord usually asks for a "show cause" hearing, which must be set 7 to 30 days after you are served with the order (RCW 59.18.370). At the hearing you may answer out loud or in writing and raise any legal defense.

Judgment, reinstatement, and payment plans

• A judgment for unpaid rent can include late fees only up to $75 in total, plus court costs and attorney fees if allowed.
• The sheriff cannot carry out the judgment until five court days after it is entered. If you pay the rent due, costs, allowed late fees, and any awarded attorney fees in that window, the judgment is satisfied and your tenancy is restored. Each earlier reinstatement in the past 12 months adds $50.
• The judge can also stay the eviction and set a payment plan of up to 90 days if you show good cause. The court looks at things like whether the shortfall came from an emergency that is unlikely to repeat, your payment history, and the hardship eviction would cause. You must pay one month's rent within five court days of the order.

Our eviction help guide for Washington State lists more places to get support during a case.

Appointed counsel through the Office of Civil Legal Aid

Washington was the first state to guarantee lawyers for low-income tenants in eviction cases. RCW 59.18.640 requires the court to appoint an attorney for an "indigent" tenant, subject to state funding. You count as indigent if you receive TANF, ABD cash, food benefits, Medicaid, SSI, refugee assistance, pregnant women assistance, or poverty-related veterans' benefits, or if your after-tax income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. For one person in 2026 that is about $31,920 a year.

The Office of Civil Legal Aid runs the program statewide through 11 legal aid organizations and 2 private attorneys or firms. OCLA also funds a smaller pre-filing program for tenants at risk of eviction who do not yet have a court case. Call 855-657-8387 or apply online through the Northwest Justice Project. WashingtonLawHelp has free self-help guides and forms.

Mediation at a Dispute Resolution Center

Mediation is no longer required before an eviction filing, but it is still available and often works. Resolution Washington links 21 Dispute Resolution Centers across the state that offer free or low-cost mediation for landlords and tenants, with interpreters at no charge. In 2025 the centers reported directly helping 87,957 people, and 85% of clients said mediation improved their situation.

Mediation works best early, while you still have the 14-day notice period or before a hearing. Bring your lease, the notice, proof of income, and any pledge or application from a rent program. A good outcome is a written payment plan both sides sign. Mediation does not pause court deadlines, so keep responding to any court papers.

An example from Pierce County

This example is made up, but it follows the rules above. Marcus rents in Tacoma for $1,650 a month. A medical leave cut his pay, and he fell $2,400 behind. On November 3 he received a 14-day notice.

• That day he called 211, applied to the county's eviction prevention program, and booked a mediation through his local Dispute Resolution Center.
• The agency approved help on day 11 and gave him a written pledge for the full amount listed on the notice. Because the pledge came before the notice expired and covered the full rent owed, his landlord had to accept it.
• If the pledge had come later, Marcus could still have used it after a filing, and the landlord would have had to pause the case for 14 court days to process payment.

The lesson is simple: start the same day, ask for the pledge in writing, and share it fast.

Related guides

• Washington State rental assistance
• Eviction help in Washington State
• Washington hardship relief
• Oregon rent relief

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program funding and court rules change, so confirm details with the agency, the court clerk, or a lawyer before you act. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the Washington State Department of Commerce, King County, the Office of Civil Legal Aid, or any government agency.