RHAWA Candidate Education and Housing Stabilization Act

RHAWA hit the ground running the day after the 2024 Legislative Session came to a close in March. During this time the RHAWA Government Affairs team has developed a plethora of media to help educate current and hopeful legislative officials during this election season. We have held multiple evening events with Democratic and Republican lawmakers and candidates to help educate them on the historical and current housing policy for the rental housing industry.

Candidates who may be running for their first elected office may have little knowledge of the rental housing industry and the climate of the last number of years. Our goal was to inform and educate these candidates on what issues are important to RHAWA and our membership of small rental housing providers. What are our main concerns? What does our policy agenda and advocacy look like going into Legislative Session 2025? What policies can be implemented to immediately help with the issue of affordable and plentiful rental housing?

Some of RHAWA’s proposed ideas include tenant assistance, simplifying the permitting and impact study process especially with ADU’s and DADU’s, streamlining statewide law, and eviction reform. According to the Washington State Department of Commerce, Washington State needs to build 1.1 million housing units over the next twenty years to keep up with demand. The process needs to be simplified to incentivize investors and builders to start and finish projects in Washington. Affordable Housing built by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission funded only 3,500 units in all of 2023 so clearly private companies and private investment must work together to fill the housing needs.

RHAWA 2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:

Tenant Assistance Program

Rental assistance provided to struggling families fosters a strong partnership between tenants, housing providers, and the State of Washington.

• Short-term rental assistance for seniors, fixed-income, low-income, veterans, and others facing acute economic stress and/or facing a potential eviction situation.

• Prevents evictions, preserves affordable housing, ensures family stability, and has helped prevent homelessness.

• Provides short-term gap funding for the difference between what the tenant owes and what they can afford to pay.

Predatory Rent Increases

Bad actors can sometimes raise rent or collect fees in a way that is sudden, drastic, and is intended to force a tenant out. This often occurs when a low-rent building is sold or needs major rehabilitation because it’s at the end of its useful life. Establishing rules for expanded notice, limiting late and junk fees and rental relocation assistance can help stabilize housing.

• 180-day notices for any rent increase, provides for the use of electronic notification, establishes rental relocation assistance, places a 10% cap on late fees, and limits local jurisdiction’s ability to establish additional rental regulations.

Harmonization Act

Washington State needs a consistent set of rules for all Washington cities across the state. This will alleviate confusion, create confidence and compliance, and foster a more harmonized rental housing market landscape for both tenants & housing providers. 

• Benefits to tenants and housing providers by providing certainty and consistency regarding their legal obligations.

Tenant Safety & Eviction Reform

Currently, families are being forced to live next door to abusive and sometimes dangerous tenants before eviction, regardless of their behavior.

• Streamlines the process of evicting residents engaged in dangerous activity.

• Protects tenants who report dangerous or illegal activity.

• Creates an expedited process for dangerous and unruly tenants.

 • Collaborates with law enforcement for swift removal of dangerous residents.

• Prevents manipulation or intentional delays of the system.

RHAWA believes that all these ideas working together can help create plentiful and affordable rental housing that is fair for both housing providers and tenants. For more information, please reach out to the RHAWA Advocacy team: advocacy@RHAwa.org