The Washington state governor, Bob Ferguson, signed a bill on Wednesday that establishes Limits in rent increasesmaking the state among the first in the nation to provide protections to tenants.
The measure of rental stabilization, Bill 1217, Washington adds to states such as Oregon and California that have sought new ways to stop the lack of housing.
Bill’s sponsor, Senator Emily Alvarado, a democrat of West Seattle, said the measure establishes common sense railings in the state rental market “so that working families and older adults do not obtain increases in excessive rentals without control.”
“Housing is not a luxury. It is a basic human need,” Alvarado said in the signing of the bill. “And all in this state deserve a stable and affordable house.”
The rental of the measurements of the measure increases to 7% plus inflation or 10%, which is lower. Restrictions include single -family houses. The rental increase limit for manufactured homes is 5%. The legislators approved the plan in a 54-44 vote, and five Democrats joined the Republican opposition.
Ferguson praised Alvarado and the many defenders throughout the state who worked hard to approve the bill.
He hardly succeeded.
He moved successfully through both cameras, but two amendments added on the Senate floor sent him to a conference committee. These amendments increased the CAP from 7% to 10% plus inflation and exempted single -family houses. The opponents of the bill argued that the developers would leave the State if it became laws and said that similar policies in Oregon and California added to the financial burdens of those states instead of slowing down the homeless crisis.
Oregon’s rental control bill was approved in 2019 and then it was updated to 7% limit increases plus the annual average change of 12 months in the consumer price index for the west of the US. UU., Or 10%, which is lower.
The Conference Committee reduced 7% plus inflation or 10%, which is lower and restored protections for 38% of tenants living in single -family homes. With Ferguson’s firm, it is now law.
“This law is a good start. It is very late and is urgently necessary,” said Alvarado. “Forty percent of people in the state of Washington are tenants or owners of manufactured housing and before today they had no protections on how high the rent can reach, which causes pain and the devastating destabilization of families and communities.”
Ferguson also signed nine other invoices to help owners and tenants. He said that when he campaigned for the governor, the affordable housing was the main problem that the voters raised, so he supports the bills to help to make it easier to secure housing.
“Let’s make this the affordable housing session,” he said before signing the first measure.
The other measures included limits in certain provisions in rental agreements, notices for communities of mobile houses and property tax disgrade for disabled veterans.
