People gather on the steps of the Washington State Capitol Building during a rally advocating for lawmakers to change and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, facing, gets a hug during a rally advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Members of the group Firelands Workers United, which advocates for people in rural and small town Washington, pose for a photo before a rally advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Michele Thomas, director of policy and advocacy for the statewide Low Income Housing Alliance in Washington, speaks during a rally advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Michele Thomas, director of policy and advocacy for the statewide Low Income Housing Alliance in Washington, listens to a speaker during a rally advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Cat Munsen wears a pin for affordable housing after a rally advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Dominique Horn, a renter in Camas, Wash., who says she’s paying half her income for rent, pose for a portrait during a rally advocating for lawmakers to change and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Angela, left, no last name given, and Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, right, of Firelands Workers United, write a note to Rep. Adam Burnbaum, D-Port Angeles, while advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
People cheer during a rally advocating for lawmakers to adjust and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, at the Washington State Capitol Building Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Washington lawmakers pass rent-control bill, approve unemployment for striking workers
In the final days of the Washington legislative session, lawmakers hashed out agreements to approve a bill that sets limits on rent increases and a measure that gives striking workers unemployment benefits. The two bills await decisions by Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat.
People gather on the steps of the Washington State Capitol Building during a rally advocating for lawmakers to change and pass House Bill 1217, a rent-control bill, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
In the final days of the Washington legislative session, lawmakers hashed out agreements to approve a bill that sets limits on rent increases and a measure that gives striking workers unemployment benefits. The two bills await decisions by Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat.
If signed into law, the rent stabilization bill would be among the first in the nation, adding Washington to states like Oregon and California that have sought new ways to curb homelessness. Washington joined Oregon in efforts to give unemployment payments, following recent walkouts by , and in the Pacific Northwest.
Washington passed its bill on a 27-21 vote with some changes, while Oregon lawmakers continue to discuss the plan. The bill started with a 12-week cap on unemployment benefits. That was cut to four weeks in the House before the conference committee reached a compromise of six weeks.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Democratic state Sen. Marcus Riccelli, who sponsored Washington鈥檚 bill, said it will level the playing field for workers, even with the shorter benefits period.
鈥淎 strike is a last resort, but the bill gives striking workers the ability to afford basic needs like food and housing,鈥 Riccelli told The Associated Press on Tuesday. 鈥淭he whole thing for me is when there鈥檚 not a safety net, they face tremendous pressure to end the strike quickly.鈥
The Employment Security Department must report strike data to the Legislature starting in 2026, so they can assess impacts, Riccelli said. The bill sunsets on Jan. 1, 2036.
Only two states, New York and New Jersey, give striking workers unemployment benefits. Senate Democrats in Connecticut have revived legislation that would provide financial help for striking workers after the governor vetoed a similar measure last year.
Washington’s rent-control bill made it through both houses, but two unexpected amendments added on the Senate floor sent House Bill 1217 into a conference committee. Those amendments increased the cap from 7% to 10% plus inflation and exempted single-family homes.
Opponents of the bill warned that developers would leave the state if it became law and argued that similar policies in Oregon and California only added to those states鈥 financial burdens instead of slowing the homeless crisis.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Oregon passed a rent-control bill in 2019, and lawmakers updated the measure to cap rent increases at either 7% plus the annual 12-month average change in the consumer price index for the U.S. West, or 10% 鈥 whichever is lower.
The Washington legislature’s conference committee managed to get the cap down a bit, to 7% plus inflation or 10% 鈥 whichever is lower. They also restored protections for the 38% of renters who live in single-family homes. The rent-increase cap for manufactured homes remains at 5%.
Lawmakers approved the plan Sunday on a 54-44 vote, with five Democrats joining the Republican opposition.
Michele Thomas, director of policy for Low Income Housing Alliance, said the policy was hard-fought and she was happy the state made a step toward better protections for tenants.
鈥淓xcessive rent increases threaten nearly 1 million renter households in our state with displacement and homelessness, as rents continue to rise,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his bill will help keep people in their homes as we continue to fight for stronger protections and for more affordable housing for our communities.鈥
