Dear neighbors,
I spend a lot of time working on ensuring we have more affordable housing in our communities. Last week, a public hearing was held on a bill I introduced, SB 5901, and its House companion, HB 1998. This bill will make it possible to build co-living housing – high quality apartments that share a communal kitchen. The testimony I heard during the hearing was truly eye-opening. AARP testified that, according to census data, senior homelessness is rising at an alarming rate. We must act before even more Washingtonians age into an unaffordable housing market and fall through the cracks.
This is where the status quo has gotten us: 75% of Washingtonians believe that housing is too expensive. The increasing cost of rent is driving low-income Washingtonians of all ages out of their homes, exacerbating the homelessness crisis and putting severe financial strain on those desperately trying to keep pace with rising costs.
The heartbreaking reality is that, in the past few years, I have seen more elderly Americans living in their cars than ever before. Young people are struggling to afford the housing they need to begin their adult life.
Co-living housing can help address this by offering clean, safe housing and a sense of community at a fraction of the cost of a traditional apartment. Most co-living is affordable for people earning 50-80% of the median income. Housing in this lower-cost bracket is the hardest to get built, but co-living housing offers a way to quickly get low-cost housing onto the market and save residents from homelessness.
Unfortunately, many cities have functionally outlawed this type of housing. This bill would change that.
With a problem as broad as housing affordability, we will need several different innovative solutions that tackle the problem from different angles. Co-living housing is a quick, effective, way to create more affordable housing and an important step in the right direction.
You can track the progress of SB 5901 here.
Stay involved!
Remember, your voice is integral to the lawmaking process and helps guide us to shape better policy. You can register here to testify in-person or remotely from the comfort of your own home.
Contact us
Thank you to everyone who has reached out! I’d love to continue hearing from you, and I look forward to learning more about your priorities for the upcoming year. Send me an email at Jesse.Salomon@leg.wa.gov, or give me a call at 360-786-7662.
Sincerely yours,
