I have the great joy of serving on the Steering Committee of Tacoma For All, the folks behind last year’s winning campaign for Initiative 1, the Tenant Bill of Rights. It was a major, important fight that won Tacoma tenants the strongest protections in the state, despite going up against state rental housing lobbyists and national-level real estate lobbyists who outspent us three-to-one. While the initiative wasn’t a silver bullet, it has profoundly improved the lives of thousands of Tacoma tenants. And it builds on other major “good cause” housing victories in the state legislature.
All of this is now under threat, and it’s up to all of us to both defend the local victory and ensure we win even bigger for renters and workers statewide. These threats range from individual and corporate landlords using shady practices, to a new landlord PAC suing the City of Tacoma to try and overturn the law, to the Washington State Rental Housing Association sending mailers statewide that are loaded with fear mongering about rent control. The only way we can beat it is by educating, agitating and organizing! And we need politicians willing to fight like hell.
That’s why I joined Tacoma For All last Saturday to talk to residents at Westside Landing, the landlord behind the lawsuit against Initiative 1. We knocked on hundreds of doors of mostly fixed income residents, hearing heartbreaking stories about rent increases that violated Initiative 1, onerous fees and eviction threats of longtime residents, and even the landlord raising the rent last month, only to later write tenants saying they weren’t raising it after all, adding “merry Christmas.” This is all while they were simultaneously suing the city to overturn Initiative 1, as plaintiffs backed by a PAC called Citizen Action Defense Fund. Tacoma For All will have more information about this unjust lawsuit and how you can get involved in fighting it soon.
It’s also why I’m using this week’s email to elevate the issues. If you’re a Tacoma renter or have family that rents here, then you need to know your rights. Visit www.tacoma4all.org to learn much more, and use the forms on the website to reach out to T4A if you think your rights are being violated. You should also know that while there are some small exceptions to Initiative 1 (such as tenants living with their landlords), you also still have tons of other protections from the city and the state. For instance, your landlord is still required to give you a six month notice for rent increases, even if they move you to month-to-month rent.
Finally, the Washington State Rental Housing Association is firing up the propaganda machine. They were the public face of last year’s opposition to Initiative 1, where they organized national realtors and corporate landlords into spending almost $400,000 to try and kill Initiative 1. They’ve also spent huge amounts trying to kill state legislation, such as efforts at rent stabilization. They’re gearing up for the 2025 legislative session now, sending anti “rent control” mailers that depict themselves as a superman-like character fighting a government overreach hellscape. We can expect this from them here in Tacoma next year, when they lobby to overturn tenant rights after Initiative 1’s two-year window blocking modifications expires.
All of this highlights that the fight for housing justice is just that… a fight. And we need movements and politicians willing to get into the trenches, be with workers and tenants in the struggle, and use their bully pulpit to elevate the most deeply felt, widely felt issues in the community. I’m committed to keeping up the Tacoma For All fight, both while campaigning now and long into the future. I’m committed to supporting rent stabilization in upcoming legislative sessions. I’m committed to social housing development, a state department of housing, and so much more. I’m committed to fighting for a future that works for all! Join me in that fight today.
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