Dear Maureen,

WOW – what a start to the 2021 Legislative Session! We are now halfway through, and we have optimism about the status of the housing justice agenda! We wouldn’t be where we are without your strong advocacy, but we still need your involvement. To keep these bills top-of-mind, our lawmakers need to keep hearing that affordable housing and homelessness prevention is a top priority for Washington! Checkout where our priority bills are in the legislature and take action to ensure that they keep moving! 

Lead Agenda Updates:  

HB 1236/Macri - Ensures that landlords cannot evict a tenant without having a legitimate reason for doing so. Passed House! Scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee on Thursday, 3/11 at 8am. Sign-in Pro by 7am 3/11 Here! - URGENT! 

HB 5096/Robinson - Capital gains tax. Passed Senate!  Be on stand by for action!

SB 5160/Kuderer - Provides legal representation for tenants facing eviction, payment plans for tenants unable to pay rent during the pandemic and other key reforms to the eviction process.  Passed Senate! Be on stand by for action!

HB 1277/Ormsby - Creates a new eviction prevention rental assistance program, funds operations for permanent supportive housing and also funds the Landlord Mitigation Program. This bill is NTIB “necessary to implement the budget” and is alive and well. It is in the House Appropriations Committee and should get a hearing in the coming weeks.  

HB 5279/Robinson - This is the companion to HB 1277 and is also “NTIB”.  

Budget Updates:  The budgets will likely be out next week – stand-by for specific actions and in the meantime let lawmakers know that they should prioritize affordable homes and housing stability in the budget by taking action HERE. 

Support Agenda Updates:

HB 1054/Johnson - Establishing requirements for tactics and equipment used by peace officers. Passed House! Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on 3/11 at 10:30 AM.

HB 1070/Ryu - Modifying allowed uses of local tax revenue for affordable housing to expand the allowable use of the funds to clearly include acquisition of existing structures. Passed House! Had a robust public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government on 3/10.  

HB 1078/Simmons - Restoring voter eligibility for all persons convicted of a felony offense who are not in total confinement under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections. Passed House! Had a hearing on 3/10 and is scheduled for executive session (a vote) in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections for 3/12. 

HB 1220/ Peterson - Supporting emergency shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations. Passed House! Needs to be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate. 

HB 1267/Entenman - Concerning investigation of potential criminal conduct arising from police use of force, including custodial injuries, and other officer-involved incidents. Passed House! Needs to be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate. 

In addition to the updates above, you can track the progress of many relevant bills through our online bill tracker, and learn about our legislative priorities here.   

Upcoming Advocacy Opportunities  

Housing Week of Action is NEXT WEEK! We would love to have you participate in next week’s advocacy events in support of housing solutions in Washington! Learn more and sign-up HERE. 

Mid-Session Town Halls with Lawmakers - Join your district’s Town Hall to directly connect with your representatives and senators - this is a great opportunity to tell your story or ask questions! Learn more and sign-up HERE.   

The support of advocates across the state makes positive change possible! We need to keep pressuring our lawmakers to prioritize affordable housing and ensure that everyone in Washington has a safe place to call home. We need you to stay involved over the coming weeks if we are going to get these critical bills over the finish line!

In community,

Rachael Myers, Housing Alliance

Ps. We want to ensure that you’re receiving housing advocacy news and alerts in the best way for you. When you have a moment, please update your contact preferences HERE and opt-in for texting! 

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