President Joe Biden recently called for a 5 percent cap on rent increases as a means of helping with the nationwide crisis in homelessness.
Our 49th District House representatives both supported a bill which would help with this problem by the means of rent stabilization, which would place reasonable limitations on the amount a landlord could raise rent at the renewal of a tenancy and restrict rent increases to the renewal period of the tenancy. This bill, HB 2114, passed the House but was torpedoed when it came over to the Senate, in part through the opposition of Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver.
The Columbian’s recent article on the Biden proposal (“Biden’s push to cap rent hikes could energize the pursuit in Washington,” Washington State Standard, July 17) quoted statewide organizations which represent the interests of landlords who attacked the idea. They did not, however, put forward any constructive proposal on how to stabilize rents so that more people can find shelter.
The Legislature should take up HB 2114 again next session and pass it, this time with the help of all of the 49th District representatives, including Sen. Cleveland.
