Washington Low Income Housing Alliance:
Transforming Advocacy and Organizing into Legislative Victories
In addition to supporting significant appropriations for affordable housing and homeless programs, the Housing Alliance has supported many important policy bills over the years. Below is a partial list of the housing and homeless policy bills supported by the Housing Alliance that have been passed by the state legislature.
1990
HB 2861
Regulation of Manufactured Housing
HB 2272
Mobile Home Landlords
HB 2907
Mobile Home Relocation Bill
1993
ESHB 1562
Authorizing local governments to exceed statutory property tax limitations for the purpose of financing affordable housing.
EHB 1824
Authorizing conversion of surplus public property to use for affordable housing.
SB 5584
Creating the Washington Housing Policy Act and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.
1994
HB 2160
Authorizing public housing authorities to do background checks on employees that work with vulnerable populations.
HB 2190
Allowing Tribes access to the Housing Trust Fund and allowing repayments to be used for administration costs up to 4%.
HB 2275
Allowing repayments in the Emergency Mortgage and Rental Assistance program for timber impacted communities to be kept locally and reused.
HB 2627
Directing the Housing Finance Commission and the State Investment Board to provide mortgage financing for single-family homeownership.
1995
HB 1611
Exempting the sales tax on new construction materials for youth shelters.
ESSB 5868
Reactivating the mobile home relocation program and allowing $1.3 million in the fund, and interest, to be used for relocation costs.
2SSB 5387
Providing tax incentives for multiple-unit housing in urban centers (Tacoma Bill).
1996
HB 2778
Providing an exemption from sales and use taxes for farmworker housing.
SB 6247:
Increasing the debt limit of the Housing Finance Commission to $2 billion.
1997
HB 1928
Giving the Housing Finance Commission authority to impose covenants running with the land.
HB 2189
Creating a task force to study financing for senior housing and housing for persons with disabilities.
SB 5193
The sales and use tax exemption is extended to agricultural employee housing provided by housing authorities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
SB 5529
Requiring a landlord to provide a written receipt for any payment made by a tenant.
SB 5672
Designated public housing projects are added as drug-free zones where the penalties for drug-free related crimes are doubled.
SB 6094
The multifamily housing tax exemption is expanded to allow cities with a population of at least 100,000 to be eligible.
1998
HB 2598
Eliminating the sunset on the property tax exemption for leased shelters for homeless families and victims of domestic violence.
SB 5622
Making permanent the sales tax exemption on the construction of youth shelters.
SB 6380
Increasing the amount of relocation grant assistance to owners of double-wide homes and amending the mobile home installer certification act.
SB 6737
Giving a property tax exemption to property owned or leased by a nonprofit organization for persons with developmental disabilities.
1999
SHB 1345
Exempting certain low-income housing from property taxes.
HB 1378
Amending the Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act to require managers to notify tenants of their intention to enter the mobile home and to place security deposits into an interest-bearing account to benefit the tenant.
E2SHB 1493
Establishing a collaborative effort to address the housing needs of homeless children and their families.
E2SSB 5843
Increasing the Housing Finance Commission’s statutory debt limit to $3 billion.
ESSB 5599
Requiring state agencies to adopt joint rules for farm-worker housing and operating standards for temporary worker housing.
2000
HB 2505
Amending the multifamily tax exemption is lowered from 100,000 to 50,000 population jurisdictions.
EHB 3105
Authorizing a vote on a sales and use tax increase in Tacoma with revenues to be used for zoos, parks, and housing for the mentally ill.
SSB 6663
Enhancing notification procedures for Section 8 housing and authorizing DCTED to adopt eligibility criteria for affordable housing.
2001
HB 2098
The nonprofit property tax exemption for low-income rental units is expanded to include spaces in mobile home parks.
HB 2222
Providing emergency earthquake and low-income energy assistance.
SB 5197
Housing’s share of annual Bond Cap is increased from 30% to 32%.
ESSB 5703
Modifying manufactured home provisions regarding what is or is not an alteration.
2002
HB 2060
Creating a $10 document recording fee surcharge.
SHB 2466
The multifamily tax exemption requirement is reduced from 50,000 to 30,000 for participating jurisdictions.
2SSB 5354
Amending the Mobile Home Relocation Act to cover demolition and replacement expenses in cases where the home cannot be successfully moved.
SB 5965
An additional real estate excise tax is authorized for counties for the development of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons and those with special needs.
2003
HB 1786
Amending the Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act relating to fire and safety standards, and providing that eviction is covered by the Act.
SB 5224
Adding a representative of for-profit rental housing owners to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.
ESB 5389
Providing conditions for housing to be designated as “drug and alcohol free.”
2004
2EHB 1645
Protecting the rights of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking in the rental of housing.
2ESSB 5536
Expanding implied condominium warranties to the extent of defective materials, sound engineering and construction, workmanship, and compliance with all laws.
SB 5869
Authorizing nonprofit corporations to participate in self-insurance risk pools.
2005
EHB 1074
Increasing the administrative cap on the Housing Trust Fund from 4% to 5%.
ESHB 1640
Providing a dispute mechanism for manufactured/mobile home landlord and tenant disputes.
E2SHB 2163
Establishing a homeless housing program and providing a $10 document recording surcharge.
ESSB 5509
Requiring sustainable building guidelines for affordable housing funded in the Capital Budget-Housing Trust Fund.
ESSB 5577
Providing relocation assistance to tenants of dwellings that fail to meet the state’s health and safety standards under the Residential Landlord Tenant Act.
SSB 5767
Creating a homeless housing task force in each county to develop a 10-year plan addressing short and long term housing solutions for the homeless.
2006
E2SHB 2418
Authorizing the dissolution of joint housing authorities and creating the Interagency Council on Homelessness.
ESHB 2984
Growth Management Act planning jurisdictions may enact or expand affordable housing incentive programs providing for the development of low-income housing.
2007
E2SHB 1461
The Manufactured/Mobile Home Disputes Resolution Program is established in the office of the Attorney General.
E2SHB 1359
The Affordable Housing for All Surcharge of $10 is established on recorded documents for the benefit of housing and homeless programs.
HB 1450
Expanding the multifamily tax exemption to rental properties owned or used by nonprofits and directing assessors to consider restrictions on ownership income or rights.
E2SHB 1910
Lowering the multifamily property tax exemption population to cities of 15,000, changing the term to 12 years for properties with set-asides for low- or moderate-income households and eight years for market-rate properties, and requiring annual reporting.
2SHB 1922
Creating the Independent Youth Housing Program for youth aged 18 to 23 who have exited the state dependency system.
2008
E2SHB 1621
Preserving manufactured/mobile home communities.
SHB 2279
Prohibiting discrimination against affordable housing developments by cities and counties.
EHB 3142
Creating the affordable housing and community facilities Rapid Response Loan Program.
ESSB 5959
Providing assistance to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
SB 6335
Appropriating an additional $6 million for the Washington Families Fund.
2009
EHB 1464
Modifying affordable housing incentive programs in GMA planning jurisdictions.
SHB 1663
Creating relocation rights for tenants in transient lodging.
HB 2331
Increasing the Homeless and Housing document recording surcharge from $10 to $30.
SB 5452
Increasing the debt limit of the Housing Finance Commission to $6 billion.
ESB 5810
Creating a meet and confer requirement and extending the time before foreclosure can proceed by 30 days on deeds of trust.
2010
E2SHB 2658
Refocusing the Department of Commerce, including transferring programs.
ESHB 2753
Creating the Washington Works housing program.
E2SHB 2782
Creating the Disability Lifeline Program.
2011
2SHB 1128
Providing support for eligible foster youth up to age 21.
2SHB 1362
The Foreclosure Fairness Act, protecting homeowners from foreclosures, requiring mediation, and extending the time before foreclosure can begin.
SHB 1793
Restricting access to juvenile records.
SHB 1811
Allowing for informed telephonic consent for access to housing or homeless services.
ESHB 2082
Creating the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program.
SB 5289
Amending the B & O tax deduction for property management companies for personnel performing on-site functions.
ESSB 5834
Using King County lodging taxes for the arts, culture, heritage, tourism, and housing.
2012
EHB 1398
Creating an exemption from impact fees for low-income housing.
ESHB 2048
The $30 surcharge for local homeless housing is temporarily increased to $40 and extended.
SHB 2194
Making significant modifications to the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act.
ESHB 2592
Allowing foster youth aged 18 to 21 who are enrolled in a postsecondary program to qualify for extended foster care services.
ESHB 2614
Making technical amendments to the Foreclosure Fairness Act.
SHB 2640
Emphasizing cost-effectiveness in the Housing Trust Fund.
SSB 6167
Providing free criminal record checks to nonprofit organizations that provide emergency shelter or transitional housing for children or vulnerable adults.
SSB 6277
Amending the multifamily property tax exemption in unincorporated urban centers and requiring the rental or sale of at least 20% of the units to low- and moderate-income households.
SSB 6315
The Fair Tenant Screening Act, providing screening protections for tenants, notice of adverse actions, and creating a stakeholder work group to report to the legislature in 2012.
2013
SSB 5568
Tenant screening companies can no longer report that an applicant for housing is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
SB 5147
Allows shelters three days before contacting a homeless youth’s parents or guardians.
SHB 2069
Expands the definition of a disability for program eligibility.
SB 5035
The capital budget allocated $70 million for affordable housing.
SB 5405
Extends foster care services to youth aging out of the foster care system.
2SSB 5034
Despite a few budget cuts to HEN/ABD program, the program will be able to run at current capacity.
Washington Families Fund received $2 million allocation.
HB 1617
Ensures the continued preservation of existing housing assets in the event of reduced or eliminated appropriations to the fund, while still providing statutory limits on administrative costs.