The simple answer is because they can.

On August 1st, the moratorium on no-evictions due to COVID ends in the state of Washington and with no real rent control laws on the books, people are starting to feel very desperate, very fast, especially when outrageous rent hike notices that take effect in six weeks are taped to their front doors.

 

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From our news partners at 25 NBC and nbcrightnow.com, Tri-Cities RV Park at 7322 West Bonnie Ave. in Kennewick has alerted many of their residents of a pending increase in rent that has sent blood pressure and anxiety levels into the stratosphere.

For many people, the problem is two-fold: 1) People who are on a really tight and fixed income just can't afford it. 2) There is pretty much no place else to go as the dominant rule of thumb at most area RV parks is that they won't take units more than 10 years old, which the overwhelming majority of the trailers at Tri-Cities RV Park certainly are.

For some residents, losing their home and the space they've been in, more than a decade in some cases, and now potentially an urgent need for public housing assistance as an only choice, things seem terribly grim. And as one resident put it, "Public housing? That's your tax dollars right there."

Some residents feel bullied, overwhelmed and shocked about the severity of the percentages in the increases. Near 100% price upticks in a number of situations, and there is a definitely a feeling of helplessness. One man, current park resident Larry Bullis said, "I'm 80 years old, I'm an army veteran, I'm on Social Security and Medicare, I cant afford to pay this. I don't have a home anymore, they're taking my home."

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