Hopefully you saw yesterday’s action alert and took action – in which case, thank you! If you didn’t: now’s the time – and thank you too! We’re asking you to push hard on two critical funding priorities. - Housing Trust Fund received an historic $175 million allocation in the Senate budget – but only $150 million in the House. That’s a difference of hundreds of families living in safe, affordable homes – or struggling to survive the brutality of homelessness.
- HB 1406 received zero funding in the Senate budget; it’s in danger of dying entirely without an allocation. This bill gives local communities a new source of funds for affordable homes, by letting them retain a portion of the state sales tax they already collect. The House allocated $69 million, and the final budget should include as much funding as possible.
Please share this action alert far and wide! Speaking of advocacy, how’s that going? One thing has become crystal clear this session: your advocacy is pushing through an ambitious housing justice agenda, despite a severe state budget deficit. Lawmakers tell us they’re hearing a lot about homelessness and homes from their constituents. Check out these figures: - 1,700 individual advocates across the state have contacted their lawmakers in favor of housing justice this session.
- That figure is rapidly accelerating. A month ago, around 150 advocates were responding to action alerts. Two weeks ago, more than 300 of you took action – and last week, over 500 did. That’s momentum!
Great, but what does it mean for housing justice? Well, your actions are delivering results. There’s been remarkable progress on the housing justice agenda already. Eviction reform, SB 5600/Kuderer
Status: passed both chambers, in concurrence This transformational legislation increases the amount of time a tenant has to respond to a “pay or vacate” notice, from three to fourteen days. Eviction court judges will be able to use discretion, allowing them to consider extenuating circumstances such as a hospitalization or late paycheck. And it extends the state mitigation fund to cover landlord judgements, giving tenants extra time to pay. Right now, it’s in “concurrence,” where differences between the House and Senate versions are negotiated; after that, it’s on to the Governor for signing! After session, the Housing Alliance will host a call to fully explain this powerhouse of a bill. 60 days’ notice to raise rent, HB 1440/Robinson
Status: passed both chambers, expected to be signed today 1440 provides powerful new protections for tenants. It doubles the required notice of rent increases to tenants from thirty to sixty days and forbids rent increases during a lease term. Addressing impediments to building affordable homes, HB 1923/Fitzgibbon
Status: passed both chambers, in concurrence This bill tackles local regulations that unnecessarily raise the cost or complexity of building affordable homes. For instance, it reduces the requirement for parking spots in developments near transit hubs. An exciting late addition adds a $2.50 document recording fee. For the first five years, that fee will fund planning grants for cities that take advantage of 1923’s flexibility. Starting in 2024, the fee will support operation and maintenance of permanent supportive housing or affordable housing – the first such dedicated funding source! Learn more about 1923 in Bill Rumpf’s recent blog post. Fixing prevailing wage rate, HB 1743/Ormsby
Status: signed and already in effect! Last year, lawmakers passed legislation that inadvertently impacted the rate of pay for some workers on public residential construction projects. As a result, the cost of building affordable homes unexpectedly spiked and created a shock to the entire construction system. This legislation fixes that while still ensuring appropriate wage increases to workers. Exciting! What’s still to come? Budget, budget, budget. The House and Senate proposed budgets that are significantly different, and they must be reconciled by April 28th. Fiscal committees in both chambers are considering a capital gains tax – a tax on extraordinary profits that will apply to the wealthiest Washingtonians – but only the House version uses the new revenue to invest in critical state needs. The Real Estate Excise Tax is likely to be reformed so that lower-value properties pay a smaller percentage, while properties valued at over $1 million will pay a higher rate, increasing revenue overall. Originally, the revenue had been proposed to fund Housing Trust Fund, but that provision was dropped along the way. And don’t forget to tell your lawmakers to fully fund affordable homes through the Housing Trust Fund and HB 1406. One last, strong push of advocacy will make all the difference! Wow. What a session. Indeed! It’s already been a tremendous session for affordable homes, especially given the severe budget deficit our state is facing. With your help, strong housing champions were elected across the state and are speaking up for housing justice. Your actions this session – your stories, your emails, your passion – are putting all lawmakers on notice that you expect them to act boldly to prevent homelessness and build affordable homes. This is it. One more week to go. Thank you for staying strong and continuing to speak up for housing justice. You are making a difference. Even more you can do Join our final member call of the legislative session! All advocates are welcome to join – please spread the word. Friday, April 26 from Noon to 1pm. Call in at 1-866-229-4555, access code 206-442-9455#. Ready to take the next step in your advocacy? Become a Legislative District lead! The Housing Alliance is looking for volunteers who will mobilize their networks to take action during the legislative session and keep local advocates informed year-round. We can help you develop relationships with your lawmakers and other advocates in your area, adding to your network. Interested? Want to learn more? Contact John Stovall at johns@wliha.org. Ready to fuel more of this determined advocacy in the future? Participate in GiveBIG with the Housing Alliance! It's coming up May 8, but early giving starts today. You can help by making a gift or signing up to host your own fundraising page. | 
