4 Things Washington Property Owners Need to Know About the Texas CDC Eviction Ban Lawsuit

Across the country, even here in Washington, efforts to overturn state eviction bans have been rebuffed by the courts. WBPA currently is pursuing two cases – one in federal court and one in state court – to overturn Washington state’s ban on evictions. Those cases are pending, and we expect a lengthy legal battle in the months ahead.

A glimmer of hope appeared recently in Texas when a federal judge declared the CDC’s eviction ban unconstitutional. That ruling is being appealed by the Administration and the ban will remain in effect for the time being. We are cautiously optimistic about the case and its impact on our efforts in Washington.

Here are 4 things you need to know right now about the CDC case and Washington state’s eviction ban:

1. The CDC eviction ban remains in effect through March 31 while the case works its way through the legal process. The latest round of COVID relief being debated in Congress does NOT include an extension of the CDC ban.

2. Washington state’s eviction ban supersedes the CDC ban. If the CDC ban expires or is struck down, Washington property owners will still be subject to the state ban on evictions.

3. WBPA is aggressively working to overturn Washington state’s eviction ban. Our legal team is leading a two-prong strategy by challenging the ban under the U.S. Constitution and separately under the Washington Constitution. These cases are time and resource intensive, yet we are pushing for favorable conclusions to each as quickly as possible. Property owners won’t be able to hold on forever and many are already being forced to shut down and take much-needed rental units off the market.

4. You can help! Our legal defense fund powers the litigation to overturn Washington state’s eviction bans. Click here to learn how you can be part of the effort and make a difference.