Strengthening Communities Against Displacement
“Rental assistance funds from the City of Seattle allow us to literally prevent individuals and families from falling into homelessness. At a time when our communities are working hard to move unhoused people into housing, these dollars are just as critical—they’re helping keep housed people in their homes.”
—Elena Ozturk, Human Services Program Administrator, El Centro de la Raza
The Mayor’s Office asked the Innovation & Performance Team (IP) to determine whether Seattle’s existing anti-displacement efforts were effective and where the City needed to do more. Four key questions guided the work:
- What is the City already doing to mitigate displacement?
- What evidence supports these interventions?
- How can existing programs be improved?
- Where are the gaps?
IP began by reviewing national research and case studies from other cities to understand what reliably helps people stay in their homes. The evidence is clear: no single silver bullet exists, and effective anti-displacement strategies must address multiple drivers, including financial instability, rising rents, administrative complexity, and gaps in legal protections.
By the Numbers
- 22 City programs ($307 million in fiscal year 2024 investments) with research-backed support for mitigating displacement
- 11,000+ households took advantage of these programs in fiscal year 2024
Challenge
As Seattle grows, the benefits of that growth are not equitably distributed. The 2025 Comprehensive Plan is expected to double the City’s zoning capacity from 165,000 to 330,000 units, an essential step toward creating more housing and moderating costs. But zoning changes can also increase displacement pressure on long-time residents with fewer resources.
Strengthening Seattle’s Approach to Preventing Displacement
IP partnered with six departments to inventory Seattle’s programs and analyze their effectiveness. IP interviewed program managers and participants, collected data on program uptake, and mapped our ecosystem of non-profit and private-market partners. IP identified 22 evidence-backed initiatives, representing $307 million in fiscal year 2024 investments, with 63% showing moderate to high effectiveness. But we also uncovered major gaps—especially in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA), which national research identifies as one of the highest-evidence interventions.
Seattle’s ERA system was fragmented across four departments with different rules and entry points. A resident-created handwritten guide (below) listing which nonprofits to call, when to call, and what to say, captured how confusing the system had become.
To rebuild ERA into a more coherent, preventive, resident-centered system, IP:
- Convened departments, community organizations, landlords, and residents to redesign the ERA program
- Secured $4 million in new ongoing annual rental assistance — part of a total $11.5 million investment strategy
- Developed an ERA screening tool in CiviForm
- Launched a pilot with Housing Connector to intervene earlier in the housing instability cycle
Partners
- Housing Connector
- 14 community partners delivering Emergency Rental Assistance:
- Catholic Community Services – Tenant Law Center
- Chief Seattle Club
- El Centro de la Raza
- InterimCD
- Mother Nation
- Muslim Housing Services
- Neighborhood House
- Refugee Women's Alliance
- Seattle Indian Health Board
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Tenant’s Union
- United Indians Of All Tribes Foundation
- Villa Comunitaria
- YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County
Read More
- Anti-Displacement Action Plan (2025, PDF)
- Innovation Hub Blog: New Work Group Advances Seattle’s Commitment to Anti-Displacement
- Predatory Homebuying Protection Legislation