WAC 468-100-204   Availability of comparable replacement dwelling before displacement.  No person to be displaced shall be required to move from the person's dwelling unless at least one comparable replacement dwelling (defined in WAC 468-100-002(6)) has been made available to the person.

     (1) Policy: Three or more comparable replacement dwellings shall be made available unless such numbers are not available on the local housing market. When otherwise feasible, in accordance with WAC 468-100-205 (3)(b)(iii) and 468-100-403 (1)(d), comparable replacement dwellings to be made available to minority persons may include dwellings not located in an area of minority concentration. A comparable replacement dwelling will be considered to have been made available to a person, if:

     (a) The person is informed of its location; and

     (b) The person has sufficient time to negotiate and enter into a purchase agreement or lease for the property; and

     (c) Subject to reasonable safeguards, the person is assured of receiving the relocation assistance and acquisition payment to which the person is entitled in sufficient time to complete the purchase or lease of the property.

     (2) Circumstances permitting waiver: The funding agency may grant a waiver of the policy in subsection (1) of this section in any case where it is demonstrated that a person must move because of:

     (a) A major disaster as defined in Section 102(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5122); or

     (b) A presidentially declared national emergency; or

     (c) Another emergency which requires immediate vacation of the real property, such as when continued occupancy of the displacement dwelling constitutes a substantial danger to the health or safety of the occupants or the public.

     (3) Basic conditions of emergency move: Whenever a person to be displaced is required to relocate from the displacement dwelling for a temporary period because of an emergency as described in subsection (2) of this section, for purposes of filing a claim and meeting the eligibility requirements for a relocation payment, the date of displacement is the date the person moves from the temporarily-occupied dwelling. The agency shall:

     (a) Take whatever steps are necessary to assure that the person is temporarily relocated to a decent, safe and sanitary dwelling;

     (b) Pay the actual reasonable out-of-pocket moving expenses and any reasonable increase in rent and utility costs incurred in connection with the temporary relocation; and

     (c) Make available to the displaced person as soon as feasible, at least one comparable replacement dwelling.

     (d) The person is entitled to be heard according to WAC 468-100-010 in the event of a grievance.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 8.26 RCW. 06-02-068, § 468-100-204, filed 1/3/06, effective 2/3/06; 89-17-048 (Order 121), § 468-100-204, filed 8/14/89, effective 9/14/89.]