Washington's housing crisis is getting worse: rents are increasing while workers' wages stagnate and more people are becoming homeless. Unfortunately, because of the state ban on rent regulation, cities and counties are hampered from fully addressing the housing emergency our communities face.
Luckily, there will be legislation to repeal the ban on rent regulation introduced during the upcoming state legislative session!
This legislation allows cities and counties the freedom to address the housing crisis however they see fit, whether that is some form of rent regulation or another policy. Because the statue is so broad, many cities are hampered from considering new policy ideas. For example, in late 2016, the City of Seattle passed legislation requiring landlords to accept payment plans for move-in costs (many landlords were asking for first & last month's rent, security deposit, and fees upfront - sometimes upwards of $6,000 - preventing tenants from accessing housing). Unfortunately, the City is being sued over this law and the ban on rent regulation is the basis of the lawsuit (although not all landlords agree with the lawsuit).
The ban on rent regulation is used to undermine policies that protect tenants. That's why we are pushing to end the state's ban on rent regulation.
Together, we can make this change happen, and it starts with us make our demands clear to our lawmakers. Reach out to your lawmaker today and let them know you want to end the ban on rent regulation to support tenants!
We will be in Olympia calling on our legislators to support this bill. Our Lobby Day is on January 18th at 10AM. We will meet at 906 Columbia St. SW #330, Olympia WA. We will have childcare, transportation if necessary, and lunch. Register today!