02/07/05
House Housing Committee to Hear Testimony on "Slumlord Accountability Act"
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Press Release
For Immediate Release
Tuesday February 8th at 8 a.m., in JOB Hearing Room D; Senate Committee to hear testimony Wednesday at 3:30, in Cherburg, Hearing Rm 2
The House Housing Committee will hear testimony tomorrow to support passage of HB 1583/SB 5577. The legislation would give cities and counties an effective tool to prevent housing deterioration and protect families displaced by substandard conditions.
For too long local agencies have had to grapple with the no-win
situation of shutting down bad housing and forcing tenants into the
streets or allowing irresponsible landlords to continue to disregard
housing codes and leave families in dire conditions. HB 1583 provides a responsible, common sense solution.
The bill would require landlords whose property is shut down by local officials to pay relocation assistance to tenants forced to leave. The relocation assistance would be $2000 or 3 times the rent, whichever is greater. Cities and counties would have the option of paying the assistance to families up front to help them bear the hardship of being forced out and relieve the burden on local service agencies, and then collect the cost from the negligent property owner.
Laurie Strong, grandmother of 3, was forced from her home with her family last year when the City of Burien shut down the Juanita
Apartments.
“The most important thing about this legislation is that it
will give these irresponsible landlords a real incentive to keep their property up. Maybe they’ll keep their places healthy and safe and people won’t have to go what we went through.”
Laurie will testify tomorrow with Burien City Councilman Jack Block Jr.
Legislators will also hear from Duane Martin who, along with his wife and children, was forced into a homeless shelter last week when the City of Lakewood shut down the Garden Park Apartments.
Moses Lake code enforcement official Joe Alfaro will provide testimony in support of the bill as a tool to address local housing problems.
No statistics are maintained on condemnations or property shutdowns, but local agencies in Olympia, Burien, Lakewood, Federal Way and Puyallup have all closed down properties where tenants were forced from their homes in the past 18 months.
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For more information, contact: Michele Thomas, Tenants’ Union
206-722-6848×114 (w)
206-245-6597 (cell)*