Dear friends and neighbors,
Families are feeling the strain of rising costs, from housing and health care to education and everyday essentials. That’s why I’m supporting efforts to build an economy that works for all Washingtonians.
Addressing our housing shortage and affordability crisis
We simply don’t have enough homes in Washington to accommodate current and future residents. This shortage has driven unaffordability in our state, and addressing it requires us to take two critical actions: increasing our housing supply and stabilizing rents.
This session, I’m co-sponsoring bills (SB 5471, SB 5553, SB 5612) to authorize and incentivize more construction of multi-family housing in Washington, such as fourplexes, courtyard apartments, and townhouses. Building more kinds of housing — not just single-family homes — is critical for rapidly increasing our supply and reducing costs.
I’m also supporting SB 5222 to limit rent and fee increases. Nearly half of Washington renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing and have received a rent increase of more $100 in the last 12 months. This bill strikes a fair balance — it protects tenants from sudden, life-altering rent hikes while ensuring landlords can still maintain their investments.
Reducing the cost of everyday essentials
Housing expenses contribute greatly to unaffordability, but the cost of everyday essentials is hitting families’ pocketbooks just as hard.
I’m co-sponsoring SB 5352 to increase student access to free meals at school. Parents should never have to worry about their children going hungry, and providing meals to every student is just one way we can reduce families’ grocery expenses.
Transportation is also a significant cost affecting families’ budgets. In 2022, we made a significant investment in public transportation that lets passengers under 18 ride for free. Nearly 15 million youth passengers rode fare-free transit in 2023 alone. When kids ride free, families save money on their transportation costs.
We’re always looking for ways to reduce health care costs and increase consumer protections. In 2023, we capped the cost of insulin at $35, and we have a bill this session to remove medical debt from credit scores. Medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy, and its effect on credit scores can make it difficult for people to find housing and employment. Addressing this issue is crucial to ensuring economic security for all.
As we approach critical deadlines that will determine the fate of some of this year’s bills, I will continue to fight for policies like these, which make it easier to live and thrive in our beautiful district and state.
Stay in touch
Your feedback and input are such an important part of the democratic process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at Marko.Liias@leg.wa.gov, and we will be more than happy to get in touch with you! You can also stay up to date by following my official legislative social media accounts on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Talk soon!
Marko