LYNNWOOD — The Housing Authority of Snohomish County has agreed to undergo training and pay $200,000 to a woman who alleged the authority evicted her after she accused her husband of domestic violence.
In June, the housing authority agreed to the settlement with Shawna McIntire for the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The agreement also included a provision to move Shawna McIntire to the top of the authority’s waitlist for a housing voucher.
In 2017, Shawna and Kenneth McIntire, along with their daughter, moved into the authority’s affordable housing complex in the Alderwood neighborhood, according to court documents. Because Kenneth McIntire is a military veteran, the family received a voucher specifically for veterans to help pay rent. The voucher was in his name.
The federal voucher required the authority to comply with the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA.
While they lived there, Kenneth McIntire abused Shawn McIntire, she alleged in her lawsuit filed in late 2022. Kenneth McIntire couldn’t be reached for comment.
In October 2018, Kenneth McIntire reportedly told the housing authority the family might be breaking up. In paperwork, unbeknownst to her, he didn’t list Shawna McIntire as a member of the family even though she was still living there, according to court papers.
After this, HASCO listed Kenneth McIntire and the daughter as the only residents, according to court papers.
A few months later, Kenneth McIntire reportedly asked a housing authority employee how to remove his wife from the voucher. Three days later, an employee showed him how to do it.
In May 2019, police arrested Kenneth McIntire for investigation of two misdemeanors related to domestic violence. A judge issued a no-contact order barring him from going to the home. The charges were eventually dismissed as part of a diversion agreement, court records show.
A few days after the arrest, Shawna McIntire told HASCO about the no-contact order. The authority didn’t notify her of her rights under the Violence Against Women Act as required, according to the complaint.
Months later, a housing authority staffer told Kenneth McIntire he’d need to get his wife to sign a form to get her out of the apartment, since their lease listed both of them, according to court documents.
In early 2020, HASCO delivered a 10-day vacate notice to Shawna McIntire. Again, the notice didn’t include information about her VAWA rights, court papers say. Because of a pandemic-induced moratorium on evictions, she continued living there until late 2021.
Federal policy holds that when it comes to housing vouchers for veterans, “when a veteran’s family member is receiving protection as a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and the veteran is the perpetrator of such violence, the victim must continue to be assisted.”
The rule states the victim should be given another voucher if available. If not, the victim should keep the existing voucher.
In court filings, HASCO countered the plaintiff’s claims, arguing staff gave VAWA paperwork to her numerous times. The authority also claimed, “At no point in time was it determined that Kenneth McIntire perpetuated domestic violence upon Ms. McIntire.”
In April, Judge Michelle Peterson granted Shawna McIntire’s motion for partial summary judgment, finding the housing authority violated the Violence Against Women Act.
“Above all, HASCO failed to ensure that Plaintiff maintained assistance for which she was eligible,” Peterson wrote. “Such a repeated failure to act shows a practice of deliberate indifference towards Plaintiff’s status as a victim of domestic violence.”
As part of the settlement reached in June, the authority agreed to undertake staff training on its responsibilities under VAWA. HASCO also agreed to vacate Shawna McIntire’s eviction in court, so it wouldn’t appear on her record.
One of Shawna McIntire’s attorneys, Scott Crain, declined to comment on the settlement. Duane Leonard, the housing authority’s CEO, also declined.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.
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