Your action today can help stabilize rents ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Dear Rob, We’ve got exciting news to share! The two big rent stabilization bills – House Bill 1388/Macri as well as House Bill 1389/Ramel and it's companion bill in the Senate, SB 5435/Trudeau – have "dropped"! We expect all three bills to have hearings next week, and we will share more about that opportunity to stand up for rent fairness soon!  Today we ask you to send a clear message to your legislators: the rent is too high and when people can’t keep up, more people fall into homelessness. More than 30 lawmakers are co-sponsoring these bills, but we know that landlords and their lobbyists will turn out in droves to fight for their ability to raise rents as much as they want. Send an email to your lawmakers supporting these bills now! Your voice will make a difference!    Read on for more details about the bills and information about how to add your organization to the growing list of endorsers.  Email your legislators! Add your organization to the growing list of endorsers: https://forms.office.com/r/t2mcgybE9T    Bill details:   HB 1388/Macri Prohibits "excessive rent increases” if not justified by costs necessary to maintain the dwelling unit, is likely to force the household to move, or is used to avoid other protections afforded to tenants under state law or any other source of legal rights.  “Excessive rent” is defined as a rent increase during a 12-month period that is greater than the rate of inflation or 3%, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of 7%.   New rental exemption: If the first certificate of occupancy for the dwelling unit was issued 10 years or less before the notice of the rent increase, rent increases for the dwelling unit are exempt.  Publicly funded properties: If the tenancy is in a federally funded property owned or operated by a public housing authority, or in a property that is funded through a state housing assistance program, rent increases during the tenancy are limited by the fund sources, not this bill.   Protect existing rights and prevent rent increases from being used to get around the law: For example, prohibits landlords from charging significantly more, or placing more burdensome requirements, on month to month tenants than for longer term tenants. Landlords are currently getting around just cause termination protections afforded to month-to-month tenants by threatening extremely higher rent increases if a tenant chooses to go month to month.  Gives the Attorney General’s office back their authority to enforce state tenant protections with regard to violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act by a landlord, or the Consumer Protection Act.  HB 1389/Ramel and SB 5435/Trudeau Stabilize rent increases: Prohibits rent increase during the first year of tenancy, prohibits rent increase during any 12-month period that is greater than the rate of inflation or 3%, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of 7% above existing rent.   Improvement exemption: If a landlord has paid for improvements to the dwelling unit that cost more than four month’s rent and the improvements were made during the 12 months.  New rental exemption: If the first certificate of occupancy for the dwelling unit was issued 10 years or less before the notice of the rent increase, rent increases for the dwelling unit are exempt.  Publicly funded properties: If the tenancy is in a federally funded property owned or operated by a public housing authority, or in a property that is funded through a state housing assistance program, rent increases during the tenancy are limited by the fund sources, not this bill.   Hardship exemption: If a landlord is experiencing significant hardship in complying with the maximum annual rent increase for the current calendar year due to a disparity between the local costs for providing housing and the statewide costs for providing housing, the landlord may request an individual exemption from the department.  Banked capacity exemption: Landlord may increase the rent by an additional 3% for each year that the landlord has banked capacity. Banked capacity transfers with property upon sale.  Notice of large increases: Requires a landlord that increases rent above the limit to include facts supporting the exemption in the written notice of the rent increase.    You can learn more about the rent stabilization bills and share the excitement with others on our new website at RentFairness.org. Thank you for your advocacy!  In solidarity, Po Leapai Advocacy Organizer Follow Us WASHINGTON LOW INCOME HOUSING ALLIANCE 304 Alaskan Way S., Suite 302 Seattle, Washington 98104 (206) 442-9455 info@wliha.org View this email in your web browser Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences