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Inslee issues housing stability "bridge" proclamation

Gov. Jay Inslee last Tuesday (July 29) issued a housing stability 'bridge' emergency order, proclamation 21-09, intended to bridge the operational gap between the eviction moratorium (expired at 11:59 PM June 30) enacted by prior proclamations and the protections and programs subsequently enacted by the Legislature. The bridge, which was initially announced last week, will also reduce uncertainty as the state implements post-COVID long-term housing recovery strategies contained in legislative enactments such as SB 5160.

"COVID has created a significant economic impact on our state and many Washingtonians are still experiencing financial hardships. This bridge creates reasonable steps that will help ensure that renters have the opportunity to receive support and resources available to them and that the Legislature intended to be in place to help both landlords and tenants," Inslee said.

Recent legislative actions include appropriating an additional $650 million for landlord and tenant rental assistance and also establishing certain programs, like the eviction resolution pilot program, which were intended to be in place after the eviction moratorium ends. However, the funding has not yet been disbursed and these programs are not yet operational statewide.

In response to this unintended gap, this order requires, among other things, that:

• Landlords and tenants avail themselves of rental assistance and eviction resolution pilot programs pursuant to SB 5160 to resolve any COVID-related past due rent (February 29, 2020 through July 31, 2021);

Cheese Days is this weekend and everyone is getting ready for the big event. This year it's packed with events, so let's take a look at what is happening.

We have recently seen many comments on Facebook about what is happening with the Lewis County Senior Centers and their opening in the near future.

A new program designed to help students that have fallen behind in their educational progress has been implemented by Raymond School District.

Directing the program is Raymond HS Principal Dave Vetter in the new position as Raymond School District Secondary Intervention Teacher (SIT).

Vetter has been with the Raymond School District for 18 years. He started as a kindergarten teacher, spent four years teaching fourth graders, four years as the junior high English teacher, and the past nine years as the junior/senior high principal.

On a bright and sunny afternoon, the Joint Pacific County Housing Authority held a historic groundbreaking ceremony. On Thursday, June 24, 2021, at noon a small crowd gathered in the park beside the Raymond Fire Station on Third St. for the long-awaited groundbreaking of the Willapa Center.

The center is designed to be a 3-story affordable housing complex, Early Childhood Education Assistance Program site, and non-profit offices located in downtown Raymond.

This project is intended to take the place of the Willapa Hotel, which was lost in a fire on November 5, 1998. The new center will sit on the same site as the hotel did.