Seattle IMC

The low-income tenants at the Kasota have had a huge victory. The tenants had been facing $200 rent hikes. This rent hike was more than many could afford. If it had been implemented, many would have faced eviction, even homelessness.

In a letter delivered to Kasota Apartments residents and to media, Sound Mental Health (SMH) has announced that it will fully meet the tenants' and SeaSol's demands. Any non-SMH-client Kasota resident who wants to move out of the building will receive $3,000 in relocation assistance. Any who choose to stay will see a rent increase of no more than 10% over the next year.

The tenant's victory took courage. They kept fighting in the face of eviction threats and intimidation. It also took unity. The tenants stuck together when management tried to divide them and deal with each individual separately. Thanks to everyone who came out on December 28th to help the Kasota tenants - and SeaSol - win this fight. Most of the tenants plan on moving as soon as possible, now that they'll have the money to afford it.

On Martin Luther King Day, the Reverend Leslie Braxton spoke in Olympia at the state capital. His audience was a group of activists who were lobbying the legislature not to make budget cuts that would hurt the poor and those in most need.

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