Dear friends and neighbors,

One of the greatest challenges our state faces is the lack of affordable housing. This problem is acute in the 43rd district, where the median home value is $1.1 million and the median gross rent is $2,158 per month.  For far too many people in our community, homeownership is out of reach while rental prices continue to climb. I worked with my colleagues in the Legislature this year to make meaningful progress to tackle this challenge.

Last session I was proud to co-sponsor legislation to cap most rent increases across the state annually at 7% plus inflation, not to exceed 10%.  The purpose was to prevent extreme price hikes that have forced too many people out of their homes. In the longer term, the best solution is to increase the supply of all types of housing, including social housing, public housing, and transitional housing to help people exiting homelessness.  This session we passed several more bills to increase housing supply, cut red tape and lower construction costs, and increase density and middle housing options.

Last October, a renter in Wallingford reached out to me to let me know that her landlord had installed a new “smart lock” system on her apartment that required her to download an app to get into her own home.  That app was designed to track her location and capture her personal data, which she thought was unfair.  I agreed and was proud to join Gov. Bob Ferguson as he signed my bill to put controls on the use of electronic smart locks in residential rentals. SB 5937 requires landlords using smart access systems to provide tenants with alternative, non-biometric, or non-app-based access such as a fob or physical key. Here are some other bills we passed this session that will make housing more fair, affordable, and available:

  • HB 1687 allows local governments to streamline and waive red tape and requirements for mixed-income and affordable housing projects being built by a social housing developer.
  • SB 6026 changes zoning laws to open up more land, such as the parking lots in strip malls, to build housing such as apartments and condos.
  • HB 2266 helps ensure shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing can be built more predictably by requiring cities and counties within urban growth areas to allow these housing types subject to the same zoning standards wherever residential housing or hotels are allowed.
  • HB 1974 allows cities and counties to establish land banks that can acquire and hold land until housing projects are ready to move forward.
  • SB 6237 ensures that renters get the same notice and warning about known flood risks that homebuyers get.
  • HB 2418 cuts red tape to streamline and speed up permitting for local housing development.
  • SB 6027 preserves existing permanent and supportive housing by expanding allowable uses of local housing-related sales tax programs to support operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation instead of primarily new construction.
  • SB 5156 makes it easier to build small apartment buildings by allowing smaller elevators that still meet accessibility requirements.

The final supplemental capital budget approved by the Legislature and awaiting signature by Governor Ferguson includes an additional $200 million in housing and homelessness funding, including $123 million for the Housing Trust Fund, supporting affordable housing projects across Washington state. This investment directly builds affordable homes for Washingtonians of all income levels, from shelters and recovery housing to senior living and homeownership opportunities, lowering the cost of housing for everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. If you missed my newsletter on the Millionaires Tax, it is available on my website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at Jamie.Pedersen@leg.wa.gov.

Best wishes,

Jamie