Seattle's vibrant marinas, once a refuge offering affordable housing to a diverse range of liveaboard tenants, are under threat. Individuals and families are being squeezed by unprecedented rent hikes and random eviction of tenants in good standing, primarily from private equity firms like Wing Point Partners (a Colorado based company), who have acquired marina properties in Seattle. They have systematically broken many laws, have been violating their DNR lease obligations, and have recklessly caused irreparable harm to our community businesses, families, and homes. Their unethical and immoral business practices have left members of this community in turmoil. Taking away someone’s home without due process and legal safeguards is unconscionable, cruel and a human rights violation. Because people hide behind the mask of a company does not mean they are entitled to disregard the welfare of human beings. Wing Point Partners has broken their stakeholders’ obligations and its own principles, as well as the social contract. 

Related to their reckless actions, they have moved in a Zūm operation/hub and private school bus parking depot after displacing legitimate businesses that families depend upon on the Ballard Mill Marina premises without legal authority to do so, which has had disastrous consequences to public safety and the flow of traffic in the neighborhood.

They removed the marina office, began charging parking fees at a dilapidated parking lot, and have decreased service to its tenants - providing little, to no response to concerns, or all out retaliating by terminating their moorage, while ignoring simple maintenance and repairs, with the docks left in shambles. The laundry machines don’t work with ongoing promises that they will, and the restrooms and showers are pest ridden, and cleaned infrequently. On top of their monthly moorage fees that start at $20/ft, not including electrical, the new liveaboard fee, $400, is about double the highest in the area and over 3x what it once was. For context, as of 2026, to moor a 40’ boat would cost $1,200/month + electric, not including the cost and maintenance of the vessel or parking. This is exorbitant and extortionate in exchange for the amenities provided. They provided business operators and liveaboard tenants little notice to vacate or reason provided, and in the author’s case, they followed the rules, paid on time and were in good standing. In at least one instance, a liveaboard tenant asked for a discount and in reply, they were given a 30 day notice to vacate. The effect is devastating: residents as well as businesses face the unbearable pressure of relocating – their boats – with nowhere to go, exorbitant moving expenses, or the risk of becoming homeless. It’s usury, tyranny, exploitation, corruption and greed. How can people treat other people like this? These lands and waters, often public, are here for the benefit of the people, and at a minimum, they deserve proper notice procedures and timelines. 

The Seattle maritime community is an essential part of the cultural and social fabric of our city. Liveaboards contribute to the economic diversity and are active participants in sustaining the local economy, and are often an eclectic group who share their art with the community. Yet, without safeguards and legal rights in place, their homes remain precarious and their cries for justice unheard. Protect our communities from out of state, cash grabbing private equity groups! 

It's time for Seattle to step up and protect its residents who have chosen this unique life on the water. We propose establishing a tenants' rights framework specifically designed for liveaboard residents, ensuring fairness, transparency, and dignity. This framework should include:

1. **Reasonable Rent Control:** To prevent abrupt and excessive rent increases, providing stability for liveaboard tenants by capping annual rent hikes.

2. **Notice and Just Cause Eviction Protections:** Giving tenants adequate time and legitimate reasons for eviction, as is standard in land-based rental agreements.

3. **Relocation Assistance:** Financial and logistical support for tenants who are forced to relocate due to circumstances beyond their control, preventing homelessness and financial hardship.

4. **Designation of Safe Harbor Zones:** Designate areas where displaced liveaboard residents can temporarily moor their vessels without incurring excessive fees or legal penalties.

5. **Liveaboard Tenant Protections**
There has long been a loophole, where liveaboard tenants are not given the same protections under the Landlord Tenant Act or other municipal housing laws. This community demands attention to this issue and resolution to afford liveaboard tenants the same tenant/renter protections as those given to traditional on-land tenants, and to finally, close the loophole, which many states have done already. It is an absolute shame that Seattle, a city with one of the strongest maritime communities in the country, has failed its constituents. This oversight must stop now. 

These measures are just the beginning, but they are crucial steps towards ensuring fairness and stability for Seattle's liveaboard community. Let's build a city that accommodates all forms of living and recognizes the invaluable contributions of its waterborne inhabitants.

We urge Mayor Katie Wilson and the Seattle City Council to take immediate action to protect liveaboard residents. Sign this petition to stand with us in demanding equitable housing rights and privileges, ensuring Seattle remains inclusive and diverse for everyone.