From Lizbeth Adams, Co-Chair, Bishop’s Task Force to the Unhoused:
Kindle in our hearts, O God, the flame of that love which never ceases, that it may burn in us, giving light to others.
On April 29, the 2025 Washington state legislative session ended. HB 1217, designed to improve housing stability by limiting rent increases, was approved by both chambers after eleventh-hour conferencing and is now on its way to the Governor’s desk. The story of the bill’s long journey into law illuminates the persistent issues that frustrate efforts to provide adequate levels of affordable housing in our area. Proponents of limiting rent increases to 7% cited increased homelessness resulting from “predatory” rent increases. Opponents invoked the relationship between potential rent revenues and new construction starts, claiming that rent caps would drive developers to build elsewhere. The bill stalled in the Senate during the 2024 session. This year, the same issues were raised and argued in public hearings and on the floor of the legislature. The bill that was passed by the House (setting rent increase caps at 7%) was modified in the Senate to allow rent increases of 10% plus inflation, a move that advocates said “gutted’ the proposal. Outcries from advocates for the unhoused sent the Senate bill back for further negotiations, resulting in a compromise bill setting the cap at 7% plus inflation, OR 10%, whichever is lower.
On April 21, Spokane became the first city in the US to adopt an ordinance that prevents employers from asking about a potential hire’s current housing status by removing the request for a home address from job application forms. Critics argue that it is merely a symbolic gesture. Advocates for the unhoused appreciate that it is a way to de-stigmatize the condition of homelessness.
Faith and law overlap in our Christian response to the suffering of our unhoused neighbors. Legislators work hard. Perhaps now is a good time to write to your representatives, thank them for their work during the 2025 session, and raise issues you would like to see addressed in next year’s session.
To find housing-related bills (searchable by topic): www.app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary
To identify and contact your state representative: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder
Love one another with strength and resolve.
In community,
Lizbeth Adams
Co-Chair, Bishop’s Taskforce to the Unhoused
This work makes my heart so happy! What a blessing it is to live in a state with active faith leadership, working with a legislature that incorporates compassion with common sense. Thank you for sharing this wonderful news, Lizbeth!