Prepare Yourself For the 2025 Legislative Session

The 2025 Legislative Session begins on January 13th, 2025, which is approaching quickly. We hope you are looking forward to joining our events and various calls to action to amplify the voice of small housing providers and support rental housing in Washington.

This year we will undoubtedly see an onslaught of regulations targeting housing providers, many of which we have seen before. Ideas are already being discussed well before the opening day of the legislative session. Eviction restrictions, late fee caps, and rent control are just a few examples of the policies that we are preparing to take on. We will need your help now more than ever as we not only fight to stop these harmful regulations, but also push for achieving RHAWA’s legislative priorities which can be found in Corey Hjalseth’s Article on page 11. The solution to bad housing policy is to not only stop the harmful legislation, but to promote and bolster legislation that will make it easier to provide housing. Improving a small housing providers ability to run their business will reduce housing costs, make it easier to negotiate lease terms and encourage a more cooperative rental housing environment. The legislative problems we currently face can be solved with legislative solutions and RHAWA is always looking to find these solutions and spread good ideas. But, of course, our success with these goals is dependent on you joining us and sharing your voice.

GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY

Grassroots advocacy is necessary to defend the rights of housing providers. As said by our President and Executive Director Sean Flynn, one member’s testimony is worth ten from our lobbyists, While some of you might be nervous to give testimony or speak to your lawmakers, we strive to make it as easy as possible, from one-click registration to speak, to having our staff, lobbyists and fellow housing providers provide advice and feedback to your testimony, it's never been easier to share your experience with the lawmakers. Learning how to effectively advocate on your own behalf during sessions will also help teach you the skills necessary to engage with local issues as well. It is difficult for us to provide prep sessions for every local issue that arises in city councils but learning how to interpret and present talking points during Legislative Session will ensure that you are fully prepared for anything that may come down the line in your local jurisdiction. Again, it is essential for these lawmakers to hear your lived experiences so they can truly understand the needs and struggles of small housing providers.

In addition to harnessing the voices of our members, we must ensure that all facets of the rental housing industry work together to create a robust and effective grassroots advocacy effort.

RHAWA has brought together property managers, rental housing owners, manufactured housing owners, and industry professionals from across the state to form the Rental Housing Association Coalition (RHAC). Members of the coalition will be invited and included in our Legislative Session Preparation in order to present a united front in our advocacy efforts.

Coalition members include: Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington, the National Association of Residential Property Managers and the Yakima Valley Landlords Association. RHAWA works together with these associations in order to present a united front when addressing rental housing issues with the legislature.

Legislative Events

• Legislative Session Kickoff – Join RHAWA government affairs (GA) team and lobbyist, Chester Baldwin, to discuss the upcoming legislative session with lawmakers who work hard to support us on the hill. You can help drive the solutions to our challenges by advocating for policies that build a healthy housing economy for all, so don't miss this opportunity to learn how to get involved. Make your voice heard and join us in defending your rights as a housing provider. Join us January 6, 2025, from 6-7:30 pm for our 2025 Legislative Session Kickoff. You can register for this event on our website RHAwa.org/ events. Please note: Registering for the kickoff event will automatically register you for all other Legislative Session events.

• Briefing Rooms – Government Affairs staff and lobbyists will be available to consult with you two hours before any critical hearings in the Virtual Briefing Room throughout the session. They can assist you with signing up for your remote committee testimony and help you prepare your speaking points prior to your appointment.

• Weekly Online Meet-Up – Hop into our Monday morning meetup to learn what the most pressing bills are for the week. You will receive an event reminder with a join link prior to each meet-up.

• Legislative Session Recap – This event will discuss the 2025 Legislative Session from start to finish. We will be going over our hardest fights, biggest opportunities, and key takeaways. Don't miss this opportunity to peek behind the curtain and figure out not just what happened, but why it happened. Learn what messaging is effective and how we can bolster our grassroots advocacy efforts. We will also be talking about what comes next, and how to prepare for the upcoming elections.

Communications 

• Calls to Action – Watch your inbox for hearing announcements, upcoming events, and Calls to Action. Content from this coalition is developed and approved by our RHAC leadership advocacy team. All Calls to Action and advocacy updates will include a way to submit written testimony or a link that will grant you easy access to the sign-up process.

• Advocacy Center – The Advocacy Center is your go-to resource to make sure you're ready to participate in our advocacy efforts. This page is continually updated with our most up-to-date campaigns. The Advocacy Center allows you to message lawmakers with ease, providing summaries, talking points, and pre-written messages for every bill we will engage with. Please keep in mind that adding your personal story to these pre-written messages is the most effective way to communicate with your lawmakers. It was mentioned earlier that one member's testimony is worth ten from our lobbyists, this concept applies to the Advocacy Center messages as well. The Advocacy Center also provides you with resources to find your lawmakers and keep up with every bill RHAC is currently tracking in real-time.