Seattle Housing Authority Listening Session & Project Culmination
January 25, 2018

Tenants Union’s legislative endorsements to know and support in 2018

Tenants Union’s legislative endorsements to know and support in 2018

HB 2578 / SB 5407 Banning Source of Income Discrimination
● This bill would require landlords to accept Section 8, HEN, and VASH vouchers along with all other sources of income when considering a renters application and make it illegal to discriminate against these alternative sources of income
● It also requires landlords to accept temporary subsidies and one time payments from non-profit or other sources on behalf of tenants who currently live in the property

HB 2040 / SB5408 Increasing notice length for no-cause terminations of tenancy
● This bill would increase the notice period for no cause terminations of tenancy from 20 days to 30 days in all cases and expand it to 60 days notice if a tenant has lived in the same unit for 2 years or more
● Currently this bill would require tenants to give 30 days notice prior to ending a month to month tenancy and 60 days notice if they have lived in the unit over 2 years. An amendment process is under way to change the bill by ensuring that tenants only need to give 30 days notice prior to vacating regardless of the length of their tenancy

HB 2583 / SB 6400 Return decision making to cities
● This bill would remove the state level law that currently prevents cities from regulating rent. It would allow local cities to make the decision about how best to serve tenants and regulate housing prices

HB 2804 Just Cause (and then some)
● This bill expands the current Residential Landlord-Tenant Act to apply to seasonal agricultural employees and resident managers who are currently excluded from it
● It extends the period of notice that tenants are given when they are behind on rent or not in compliance with their lease to 14 days (currently it is 3 and 10 days respectively)
● It prevents the termination of tenancy and eviction of tenants except for a just cause which it defines as:
○ nonpayment of rent
○ noncompliance with the lease
○ the owner intends to occupy the unit, and if the tenant is elderly or disabled has provided them with a new unit to move into first
○ the owner chooses to “withdraw the premises from the rental market”
○ the owner plans to demolish or remodel the unit and has obtained permits to do so
○ the unit is condemned

So what can you do about it??

Call you state legislators!
● If you don’t know who your legislators are you can find out by going to http://app.leg.wa.gov/mobile/FindYourLegislator/
● Call them and tell them that you support tenants rights! Be specific and reference the bill numbers on the other side of the sheet so they know which bills you are calling to support

Talk to other tenants!
● Strength in numbers is our best way to make these changes happen. We as tenants need to be informed about what options are out there so we can push to make them happen.
● Form a Tenants Association in your building, the TU can help
● When talking with other renters be sure to mention all of these exciting opportunities we have to expand our rights
● When we dream together and fight we can make the positive changes we need!