Hello! We are pleased to share the excellent news that HB 1453 (eviction reform giving 14 days to pay past due rent, rather than just 3) and HB 1440 (60-day notice of rent increase) passed in the House last week! SB 5600 (companion to HB 1453) passed in the Senate on Saturday! This is a direct result of all of our work with advocates across the state pushing for these tenant protections.
The cut off date for more bills to pass in their chamber of origin is this Wed March 13th. There are some crucial bills that have made it out of committee and are listed on the calendar but have not yet been called for a vote. Please reach out to your House representatives and House leadership to ask them to vote on and support:
HB 1694 (installment payments): requires landlords to agree to receive upfront move-in costs over an extended period of time. This high cost is one of the main barriers many households face when they have to move to a new home, and having this option will ease the process of moving and help prevent homelessness. Rep. Melanie Morgan (29th District) is the primary sponsor of this bill. We achieved this protection in Tacoma, and we need it to apply to tenants across the state.
HB 1656 (Just Cause): requires a legitimate reason for a landlord to terminate a tenancy. As you all know this is the big one we've been pushing. We've made it this far, but there continues to be opposition, so let's keep making the case for how fundamental this right is for tenants in Washington!
In addition to your District representatives, please also reach out to:
Speaker of the House Rep. Frank Chopp
frank.chopp@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786 - 7920
House Democratic Caucus Majority Leader Rep. Pat Sullivan
pat.sullivan@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786 - 7858
Chair of Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee Rep. Laurie Jinkins
laurie.jinkins@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786 - 7930
Let's do this.
Tacoma Tenants Organizing Committee
tacomatenants@gmail.com
www.tacomatenants.org
