WA state bill created to cap statewide rent hikes at 7% dies in Senate
A Washington state House bill that would have capped annual rent increases to no more than 7% died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday, Feb. 26.
“I am incredibly disappointed that it appears rent stabilization will not become law this year,” said Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, in a news release. “Renters and manufactured homeowners in our state have demanded relief after years of excessive and unfair rental increases.”
This is the second time the Senate has declined to move forward with a proposal to cap rents statewide this session.
A companion bill previously died in the Senate Housing Committee after Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, voted down that measure during executive session. The Senate version of the bill capped rents at 15%, instead of the 7% proposed by the House.
While the Senate version died, House Democrats were able to get their version of the bill through just under the wire on a major cutoff day for bills to pass their chamber of origin.
HB 2114 was passed by the House Feb. 13 with a 54-43 vote, and was immediately pulled to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, bypassing the Senate Housing Committee where it had previously died.
Senate lawmakers opted not to vote on the House proposal Feb. 26 ahead of the 5 p.m. cutoff time for bills to move out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, and chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said there was not enough support of the bill from committee members, according to reporting by the Washington State Standard.
Others were also disappointed in the Senate decision not to move the bill.
Michele Thomas, the advocacy and policy director for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, said in a news release Feb. 26 that if lawmakers “fail to prevent excessive rent increases, they will have failed to make significant progress toward solving our housing and homelessness crisis.”
“Rising rent has a domino effect, causing impossible choices for renters who are skipping medication, deciding which bill doesn’t get paid, and struggling to pay for essentials like food, heat and transportation,” she said. “New supply of affordable housing will take years. Renters are being displaced with nowhere to go today.”
Some were grateful that the bill was scrapped, including Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, who called the move a “big victory for every housing provider in the state.”
“Rent control is a deeply flawed policy that harms housing markets, discourages investment, and decreases housing quality and availability,” said Barkis. “As we look to solve our housing crisis, our focus as lawmakers must be on solutions, like vouchers, to help those most in need. We must also promote policies that encourage the construction of new housing, streamline regulations, and foster economic growth, rather than resorting to shortsighted measures like rent control. I extend my gratitude to lawmakers in the Senate for recognizing the dangers of this misguided proposal and look forward to continuing to push for meaningful solutions on affordable housing before we adjourn on March 7.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2024 at 3:53 PM.
