RHAWA Calls on Members to Help Fight Proposed Tacoma Regulations that will Reduce Affordable Housing

Tacoma, WA - The Rental Housing Association of Washington (RHAWA) put the call out to its 5,000 members in Tacoma and across the state to help organize and defeat the Democratic Socialist Party’s proposed housing regulation ballot measure in Tacoma which would severely degrade the rental housing market and will likely lead to hundreds of currently affordable rental housing units being moved off the market in 2024.

Citing recently published data Seattle SDCI - 2022 RRIO Annual Report to Seattle City Council from the city of Seattle, RHAWA Executive Director Sean Flynn said, “The Socialist Party of Seattle is taking to Tacoma their failed public policies that are degrading the Seattle affordable rental housing market and reducing available units which makes it tougher for renters to find a place to live.”

The Tacoma ballot initiative, 2023-01, has been pushed by a group self-titled “Tacoma For All”, who are funded by deep pocketed tenant advocacy benefactors. The initiative collected barely enough signatures this spring to qualify for the November ballot. The measure would impose the stiffest rental property restrictions in the state, even more so than Seattle.

Flynn pointed to the City of Seattle’s own data which shows since the city imposed new aggressive and punitive rental restrictions, the city has lost hundreds of previously available rental housing units. These restrictions were put forward by outgoing Socialist Party Councilmember Kshama Sawant.

“I am just stunned!”, said Linda Mickey, a local Tacoma rental housing provider, “My husband and I work really hard to keep our rental units in great condition and keep the rents as affordable as possible. But these Seattle-style measures will make it much harder to do so. We need the help of all rental property owners across the state; if these policies can come to Tacoma, they could come to you.”

RHAWA is spearheading an effort to recruit small mom-and-pop rental owners in Tacoma to get involved at all levels. RHAWA is encouraging any Tacoma and Pierce County rental housing provider to get involved in our advocacy efforts – visit RHAwa.org for the latest information.

_{About Rental Housing Association of Washington}

_{With more than 5,000 members, RHAWA provides resources and advocacy to small to mid-size rental housing providers. Our goal is to support members and the community in building a healthy housing economy for all. RHAWA is a not-for-profit organization and provides its members with a full range of products and services including tenant screening, leasing forms, and education.}