March 25, 2020                                                                                                                     

Dear SHA Residents,

At 5:30 p.m. Monday, Governor Inslee announced a Stay Home, Stay Healthy order for the state of Washington in response to the coronavirus outbreak. In a strongly worded message to citizens, he stressed that the only means we have to stop the spread of the virus is to keep physically apart from each other. The order instructs people to stay home at least through the next two weeks unless it is absolutely necessary to go out. People are allowed to go out only for essential reasons such as food, medicine, exercise if staying six feet apart from others, or to work in jobs such as health care, food supply and other essential services.

As a provider of affordable housing and related services, the Seattle Housing Authority’s work is considered essential under the governor’s order. SHA is not closing and we will continue to provide housing and other services to our residents, although with changes to minimize contact between people. 

Rent will continue to be due each month. We understand many of you may face challenges in paying rent during these difficult times. Please contact your property manager right away if you are experiencing a decrease in income that may affect your ability to pay your rent.

We have already communicated with you about the closure of SHA offices to walk-in visitors, sanitizing of buildings and other measures we are taking to minimize contact and protect residents, staff, partners and our community. You can read earlier messages and get other information on our website at seattlehousing.org.

The governor’s new order doesn’t change our commitment to serving SHA residents, and our services are still available by phone, email and our website. The governor’s order does limit our on-site services to only those that are essential, which includes visiting buildings on a regular basis to ensure building systems are functioning, common areas are sanitized and the property is safe; responding on emergency and urgent repairs; and responding on any life or safety issues related to your building or unit.

On a separate flyer, you can find information on how to proceed with common SHA resident interactions.

You can contact your property management staff anytime. If you don’t know how to reach them, you can call 206.239.1589. You can also go to our website at seattlehousing.org and select “Contact us” then select “Contact your property manager.”

SHA is working to check on residents who are considered most vulnerable due to age, underlying health or other factors and bring food to those residents who need it. We are also connecting you with information and resources through our tenant newsletter The Voice, which is emailed every two weeks. If you have email but are not receiving the newsletter, please contact the phone number above to provide your email address.

This is a rapidly changing environment that we are in and I will continue to keep you informed. There is no way to know how long people here and around the world will need to avoid contact with other people to stop the spread of coronavirus. Our hope is that our efforts are successful and the number of cases begins to decline very soon. We will operate SHA in accordance with the advice and orders of our public health and public officials as long as necessary, and I ask for your continued patience and cooperation.

I especially ask that you follow the governor’s order to stay home unless it is essential to go out, and that you follow all public health guidelines. 

Please reach out to us if you have any concerns or questions about your SHA housing or services.

Andrew Lofton
Executive Director