Office of the Mayor

City of Seattle

Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor

Executive Order 2022-03: COVID-19 Civil Emergency Extensions of City Eviction Moratoria

An Executive Order to further extend actions to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and to mitigate the impact of the public health emergency on the people of Seattle.

WHEREAS, former Mayor Jenny A. Durkan proclaimed that a civil emergency exists in the City of Seattle in the Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency dated March 3, 2020; and

WHEREAS, on March 16 and 17, 2020, Emergency Orders were issued placing a temporary moratorium on residential evictions, as well as evictions of small business and non-profit organization commercial tenants, respectively; and

WHEREAS, while Seattle has been very successful in achieving a high rate of vaccination against COVID-19 among the City's residents, the Omicron variant poses a new and serious threat due to its heightened contagiousness; and

WHEREAS, after a substantial surge related to the Omicron variant, reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are now trending downward, but continued downward movement of these numbers is still needed before the heightened risk from the Omicron variant can be said to have passed, and health system stress continues to be a concern; and

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the local economy. Improvements in economic conditions since the start of the pandemic have been put at risk due to the Omicron variant;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, hereby order the extension of the following measures to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic in our community and promote the health and well-being of the people of Seattle:

A. Emergency Moratorium on Residential Evictions

On March 16, 2020, an Emergency Order was issued imposing a moratorium on residential evictions for sixty days, or until the termination of the Civil Emergency, whichever is earlier. Subsequent orders extended the moratorium through February 14, 2022.

Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the Emergency Order, dated March 16, 2020, imposing a moratorium on residential evictions is hereby extended through February 28, 2022, at which point the Emergency Moratorium on Residential Evictions will sunset and Ordinance 126075's six-month defense against evictions due to financial hardship goes into effect.

B. Emergency Moratorium on Small Business and Non-Profit Commercial Tenant Evictions

On March 17, 2020, an Emergency Order was issued imposing a moratorium on evictions of small business and non-profit commercial tenants for sixty days, or until the termination of the Civil Emergency, whichever is earlier. Subsequent orders extended the moratorium through February 14, 2022.

Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the Emergency Order, dated March 17, 2020, imposing a moratorium on evictions of small business and non-profit commercial tenants is hereby extended through February 28, 2022.

Any questions regarding this Executive Order should be directed to Policy Director Dan Eder, Office of the Mayor.

Dated this 11th day of February, 2022.

Bruce A. Harrell

Mayor of Seattle