Ursula partly blames fading pandemic aid for King County’s record evictions
Feb 2, 2026, 2:47 PM
King County set a new eviction record in 2025, according to The Seattle Times, a sign that the affordability crisis continues to deepen.
KIRO host Ursula Reutin pointed to fading pandemic support as a major factor.
“Why now? Why is it happening? Other than the obvious, things are so expensive, rent is going up, but also a lot of the help that came during the pandemic has ended,” she said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.
KIRO fill-in host Angela Poe Russell agreed, adding that rent is out of reach on minimum wage.
“It doesn’t add up. It starts, I want to say $2,400 a month. I mean, how much is that a year? I mean, that’s a significant portion. If you are a minimum wage worker, let’s just say the average person, then you’re going to have to have roommates,” Angela said. “But if you have kids, can you imagine? If you have a kid, then that’s another thing. And these numbers included Snohomish County; it wasn’t just King County. So it’s tough times out there, and I feel like Wall Street and the numbers don’t always reflect what’s happening.”
Eviction filings in King County rose 12%, to 8,732 last year, with neighboring Snohomish County up 16%. Most cases statewide were due to unpaid rent.
Experts warned that the actual number of people losing their homes is likely much higher, since many agreements happen outside of court.
Officials hope the backlog will ease, but for now, the pressure on families and the court system shows no signs of letting up.
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
