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Community Partner of the Year Award

Community Partner of the Year Award

by | Feb 25, 2024

In January, the Dispute Resolution Center of King County was proud to receive the 2023 Community Partner of the Year Award, along with Solid Ground, from the Eastside Legal Assistance Program. When members of the three organizations gathered together, it was a first-time meeting in person after collaborating for more than a year virtually.

ELAP bestowed this shared honor on KCDRC and Solid Ground thanks to a partnership forged and managed by KCDRC’s Strategic Development and Special Project Advisor, Marilyn. She created a weekly housing clinic that provided information and conflict coaching for people with rental housing eviction issues during COVID-19. The weekly clinics started in March 2022 and concluded in June 2023 as the Eviction Resolution Pilot Program (ERPP) ended. The other organizations involved in the partnership included Tenant Law Center (TLC) of Catholic Community Services, Northwest Justice Project, and the Rental Housing Association of Washington. We are proud to accept this award because it represents the thousands of people helped to preserve rental housing in King County as a result of the pandemic.

The housing clinic partnership was also presented by ELAP at a recent Access to Justice conference as a best practice model. We hope that other organizations learn from the success we had and that they will create new collaborations to address all sorts of community issues.

KCDRC has been an active part of the King County community since our founding in 1986. We understand how important it is to connect with other organizations and groups throughout the community to gain the best understanding of who we are serving. Establishing effective partnerships is vital to our ongoing success. We are always seeking new partnerships that help strengthen our mission, and we welcome ideas from our community about new opportunities for collaboration.

VISTA – The Voluntary Initiative for Stable Tenancy and Affordability

VISTA – The Voluntary Initiative for Stable Tenancy and Affordability

by | Oct 20, 2023

The Dispute Resolution Center of King County is excited to announce the launch of a new program to help stabilize rental housing throughout King County. The Voluntary Initiative for Stable Tenancy and Affordability (VISTA) is an alternative to court proceedings that can be costly and time-intensive for everyone involved.

Caroline D., Director of Mediation Services, explains, “We saw a big need in King County to assist tenants and landlords in rental housing communities to find solutions to their conflicts in order to increase housing stability. Instead of immediately heading to eviction court when tenants have unpaid past-due rent, VISTA parties can voluntarily come to KCDRC for conflict coaching and mediation that will create another option to solve their problems. In most cases, it is a faster, less expensive, and more satisfactory resolution for everyone.”

VISTA Housing Program Manager, Sarah G., notes that 15 number of professional mediators have already signed up to volunteer their services for this new program. “The enthusiasm that our community has shown for this new program is really exciting. Many volunteers were involved with the Eviction Resolution Pilot Program (ERPP)  over the last few years, and they want to continue this important work to increase housing stability and reduce the number of people becoming homeless in our community.”

KCDRC is a non-profit in King County that has been providing alternative dispute resolution services, including mediation and conflict coaching, since its founding in 1986. Last year, more than 7,500 residents and businesses used DRC services to solve disputes. To learn more about our services, visit www.kcdrc.org.