Legislative Update Week 13: It Comes Down to the Senate
Week of April 6 Legislative Update
Happy Spring, and happy April! I hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy the return of the sun, and stock up on a little Vitamin D. The Legislative session will wrap up soon, and we have our last opportunities to advocate for important bills to pass this year.
In related news– did you know that 92% of Washingtonians agree that the cost of housing is a problem in our state; and an overwhelming majority also support capping rent increases and building more housing near transit centers? We’re excited to share with you some new polling. Powerful results show just how aligned Washingtonians are, across the aisle and across the state, on solutions that we want to help address the housing crisis.
Read on for our usual bill updates and action opportunities, as well as a preview of this new polling.
GMA Compliance- HB 1135
HB 1135, which will help implement the state’s Growth Management Act and streamline requirements for all counties, is now on Governor Ferguson’s desk! Once a bill hits his desk, he has five days to sign it into law, which means we expect him to sign it by Tuesday. Futurewise joined partner organizations to sign an endorsement letter, reaffirming our support of this bill and asking him to sign it into law. This is a normal part of the process, so we feel good celebrating this win now!
Transit-Oriented Development – HB 1491
We’ve got two big bills still working their way through the Senate. Futurewise has been working deeply on transit-oriented development policy for the last several legislative sessions. We know that building more affordable homes near transit centers is a win-win-win. More affordable housing, more walkable communities, less driving and less reliance on cars. HB 1491 is a strong bill and we need to raise our voices to make sure the Senate gets the job done this year.
Rent Stabilization – HB 1217
Rent Stabilization is an important tool to help families stay in their homes, and not be pushed out because of high rent increases year over year. This bill has faced some tough opposition, and we’re proud to be part of a community of organizations that has fought hard to get it to this point- but the fight isn’t over yet!
Both HB 1491 and HB 1217 need our help in the Senate. Will you email your legislators, and forward this email to a few friends, asking them to do the same?
Email the Senate: PASS Rent Stabilization and TOD
Results are in! New Polling Shows Strong Support for Housing Policies
Washingtonians overwhelmingly want to see the state take real action to address our housing crisis. Alongside partners, Futurewise recently conducted statewide polling to get a better picture of the impacts of rising housing costs on families in different counties, geographies, and living situations, and to ask them what types of solutions they want to see from the state.
The results are overwhelmingly clear: We need rent stabilization, we need increased development around transit centers, and we need it now.
Rising costs are being felt by families across the state. 7 in 10 renters report not being able to live near where they work because of high rent costs. And nearly ⅔ of renters report having to move from their home because of rent increases they couldn’t afford.
But there’s a bright spot: we are united in the solutions we want to see. Whether Democrat, Independent or Republican, living in a suburb, the city, or a rural area, over ¾ of survey respondents support capping rent increases, and building more homes near transit. This is a huge, bipartisan majority of folks in Washington.
Read more about what we’ve learned from our survey results here. And help us show legislators just how popular these policies are- will you send them an email today, urging them to listen to their constituents, and pass strong policies to bring down housing costs for Washington families?
Email your legislators: Support strong housing policies
We’ve made great progress this session, and already have some wins to celebrate. Now is the time to dig deep in the final few weeks of legislative session, and push our final bills across the finish line. Thank you for all you do!