These days, many of us in Seattle and King County are having to make tough decisions amid the growing costs of housing, groceries, utilities, and other basic expenses. For too many of us, those decisions include whether to buy groceries or pay next month’s rent.

The numbers tell the story: In January 2025, eviction filings in King County were up 66% from before the COVID-19 pandemic. And as we close out the year, we’re on track to set a new record high for eviction filings in 2025.  

In Seattle’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, particularly the southeast and Central District areas, just over half of renter families are now considered “rent burdened.” This means they pay more than a third of their income on housing every month.*

Inflation, lack of living-wage jobs and affordable housing, rising rents, and inadequate rental assistance programs have all contributed to the increase in evictions and housing instability. 

Flexible funding strengthens housing stability

This is why Solid Ground is so grateful to the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Foundation. They identified some of these worrying trends and stepped up to help support our housing stability work. PSE Foundation’s flexible funding allows us to prioritize our community’s greatest housing stability needs so we can work to address the rising tide of evictions in King County.  

One way we do this is through our Tenant Services, which work to prevent evictions by helping renters understand their rights, advocate for themselves, and work out conflicts with landlords. Renters across Washington state can get help through Tenant Services’ free Voice Message Line, webinars, and in-person workshops. 

These services are critical to prevent families from losing their homes and joining our region’s growing unhoused population. Regional and national studies find that between 14% and 47% of first-time experiences with homelessness are the result of eviction.* 

We know that educating tenants on their rights is one piece of the puzzle to create stability for many of our participants. With support from funders like PSE Foundation, we can continue to offer these vital services to keep people safely in their homes and communities of choice.

Heartfelt thanks to all who helped make our work possible this past quarter: 

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*Sources 

• Evictions in WA skyrocket, overwhelming legal aid program for low-income renters, by Moe K. Clark, InvestigateWest, June 2, 2025 

• Washington Low Income Housing Alliance website 

Image at top: Solid Ground Tenant Counselor Edgar Aldrett (photo by Michael B. Maine)