EDRA and Anti-Displacement

Seattle renters are all too familiar with the gut-punch of rent renewal notices: a cheerful “Happy Anniversary!” followed by a staggering increase—9.9 percent, 15 percent, or a jaw-dropping 45 percent. Between 2021 and 2022, downtown Seattle's median asking rent soared from $1,300 to $3,118, as housing costs fluctuated post-peak pandemic. Residents across the city struggled to keep up with skyrocketing housing costs, leading Seattle to launch the Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA) program in July 2022.

EDRA was created to address the growing crisis of economic evictions. But instead of preventing displacement, EDRA only responds to renters already in the process of being displaced. Rather than by regulating rent increases or alleviating financial pressures renters face, the city created a bureaucratic system that renters must opt into and navigate. This shifts the burden of time, effort, and knowledge onto renters while failing to address the root causes of displacement or provide meaningful support to help low-income households remain in Seattle.