FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2025

OLMYPIA – Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) issued the following statement Thursday detailing her opposition to House Bill 1217:

“Today, on the Senate floor, I spoke against the rent control and rent stabilization bill. While well-intentioned, this bill won’t stop runaway housing costs for families in southwest Washington — it will make them worse.

“We must protect renters, especially our most vulnerable neighbors. But how we do that matters — and blanket rent control isn’t the answer.

“Rent caps limit how much rent can rise each year. While they may sound like safeguards, they’re short-term ceilings that prevent rents from adjusting to real costs like insurance, property taxes, and maintenance.  Preventing rent from accurately reflecting costs causes serious, long-term harm to Washington’s housing market. Ultimately, it hurts the very renters we’re trying to help

“These controls discourage new housing construction and make it harder for small landlords to maintain safe, livable units. Instead of incentivizing the creation of more homes, bringing costs down for renters and homebuyers, this policy gives developers another reason to build elsewhere — pushing investment to states with clearer, more stable policies.

“I don’t take the affordable housing crisis lightly. I see families priced out of the housing market, young people locked out of homeownership, and seniors choosing between paying for medicine and rent.  These are not hypothetical situations but daily realities for many Washingtonians. It’s my duty to act.

“I carry those realities with me every day in Olympia and am always looking for solutions grounded in the values I was raised with. My father was a longshoreman who believed in hard work, fairness, and standing up for what’s right. That’s the lens I bring to this debate — and why I believe the current proposal falls short of what Washington’s working families truly need.”

“Attempts to artificially control rents have been studied for decades across countries, markets, and time periods. The results are clear: it doesn’t work as intended. A review of 200+ independent studies show rent caps reduce supply and ultimately drive rents higher.

“Let’s ask the hard questions:

  • Will this help people afford rent in the long-term? No.
  • Will it trap tenants in place by making it financially impossible to move? Yes.
  • Will it discourage new affordable housing? Absolutely.
  • Will it raise costs for small landlords? Without a doubt.

“When we push local landlords out of the market, they may sell their properties to developers, removing affordable rentals from the market altogether. Others will be forced to defer maintenance, leaving renters in worsening conditions. Either way, renters lose.

“As rental supply shrinks, demand grows and so do prices. That pressure doesn’t stop with renters. It spills into the for-sale market. Young people already stretched by rent can’t save, and when they’re ready to buy, they face higher prices and more competition.

“This is especially urgent in southwest Washington, where growth and spillover demand are rising. Just across the river in Oregon, housing construction has slowed as shifting policies, and rising costs have made the market less certain due to rent cap policies. We risk repeating those same mistakes.

“It’s a chain reaction: less housing, higher costs, fewer options. This is exactly when government must lead with clarity and long-term thinking, supported by data.

“We’ve seen what happens when lawmakers intervene without a long view. During COVID-19, emergency rent freezes and eviction moratoriums were lifesaving. However, when they ended, prices surged, and inflation increased dramatically.

“Now, we’re considering a permanent policy designed for the short term. I’m afraid the consequences will be the same: fewer homes, higher costs, and growing frustration from the very people this bill is meant to help.

“Most frustrating of all, many experts disagree with this policy. We trust scientists on climate and doctors on health — why not economists on housing? The vast majority agree rent caps reduce supply, discourage construction, and drive up costs. Builders and affordable housing providers say the same: uncertainty makes it harder to finance and finish projects. We must listen to their voices as we work to address housing affordability. That’s how smart policy is made.

“That’s why I introduced an amendment — a more balanced, workable alternative that protects tenants, caps excessive fees, and lets renters break leases after steep rent hikes. It adds transparency for renters, certainty for providers, and flexibility for both. While it wasn’t adopted, I remain hopeful we can return to the table and advance real solutions that protect renters and support long-term housing stability.

“I know my colleagues and I have the same goal in mind — addressing the affordable housing crisis in our state. My goal is to ensure that the policies we enact are backed by the real-world evidence and provide lasting relief for Washington renters and homebuyers.

“We don’t have to choose between doing nothing and doing harm. We can choose solutions that work and already exist — rental assistance, income-based support, and incentives to build more affordable housing.

That’s what will deliver lasting relief.

“The stakes are high. If this bill passes without significant changes, we risk losing the investment needed to build more housing — along with the tax revenue to fund schools, infrastructure, and vital services. Nothing prevents lawmakers from tightening rent caps later, creating even more uncertainty. Developers may walk. Local governments will feel the strain, and our housing crisis will worsen.

“Southwest Washington deserves better. This is our moment to show residents, neighbors, and the nation that Washington is a place where people can build, invest, and believe in the future. It’s our chance to govern differently, solving real problems with those real solutions. “That’s the leadership Washington families deserve, and what I’ll keep fighting for.”