UP #378 Resolution to Lift State Ban on Limiting Rent Increases

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43rd District meeting

43rd District Meeting; photo: Zachary Pullin

I want to thank the 43rd Legislative District Democrats for voting unanimously last night to pass a resolution in support of legislation Councilmember Sawant and I are sponsoring to ask the state legislature to repeal or modify the state prohibition on restricting rent increases.

I give a special thanks to Colin Maloney for submitting the resolution to the 43rd Legislative District Democrats for a vote. The resolution states:

Now, therefore, be in resolved that the 43rd District Democrats call for the Seattle City Council and Mayor make it the official policy of the City of Seattle that the undemocratic prohibition on rent control by the State of Washington be overturned, and that the City should actively lobby the State Legislature to end this ban.

We face an affordable housing crisis in Seattle. While the HALA recommendations are a step in the right direction, repeal or modification of the state ban is necessary for any comprehensive approach. Danny Westneat wrote earlier this year that a tenant faced a 145% rent increase; the City is unable to address this due to the state prohibition.

The resolution we are co-sponsoring will come before the Housing, Human Services and Economic Development Committee chaired by Councilmember Okamoto this Thursday. The Committee meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Public comment is at the beginning of the meeting. Please join us in persuading the Councilmembers to support this timely and necessary resolution to allow the people of Seattle an opportunity to seek relief from our current affordable housing crises.

I laid out the case for this legislation in the Seattle Times; background information and more details are available in Urban Politics #369.