Affordable housing near jobs, protections against discrimination

OLYMPIA – House Democrats today passed six pieces of their housing security package focused on protecting against discrimination and providing affordable home options.

"Whether it’s the family forced to live in their car, a senior facing the threat of having nowhere for their mobile home, or someone in an apartment being converted to a condo," Majority Leader Lynn Kessler (D-Hoquiam) said, "at the end of the day, everyone deserves a place to call home."

Democrats in the Senate and Gov. Gregoire have pledged to make housing security this session.  Housing isn’t a new problem for the state, but new problems arose since the end of last year’s legislative session. 

Rep. Mark Miloscia (D-Federal Way), chair of the Housing Committee, is hopeful the package passed today will provide security for some of the many families feeling very unsure about their home.

"Some of the problems we’re facing our very specific, families with housing vouchers are being denied a home simply because of their income," Miloscia said.  "Cities and counties aren’t planning for enough housing to accommodate their job growth.  We’ll make a difference by pursuing both the small and large changes."

Safe from housing discrimination

Rep. Eric Pettigrew’s (D-Seattle) House Bill 1956 will prevent discrimination based on a person's lawful source of income.  Someone seeking housing couldn’t be denied a home because they have a Section 8 or other housing voucher.

"Every family needs an affordable home," Pettigrew said. "When a home in a safe neighborhood is out of reach for working people and the middle class -- or when people get discriminated against when they try to rent an apartment or house for their family -- then it's our duty to respond to those problems."

House Bill 2279 by Rep. Jeannie Darneille (D-Tacoma) bans local governments from imposing discriminatory requirements on affordable housing, so that the same rules apply to all housing developments.

"It's the most vulnerable people -- kids, seniors, the poor -- who get hurt by the lack of housing," Darneille said. "Everybody needs a place to call home. That's why I wrote this bill, and why we're passing this reforms today."

The House also passed two other bills to protect those who live in mobile homes: House Bill 1148 by Rep. Geoff Simpson (D-Covington) and House Bill 1149 by Rep. Al O'Brien (D-Mountlake Terrace).

Homes close to jobs

House Bill 1727 by Rep. Larry Springer (D-Kirkland) is aimed at an all-too-common problem: people driving ridiculous distances to work each day because they can't find affordable housing near their jobs.

"We all know the mom or dad driving one or two hours to work every morning," Springer said.   "Look at the job centers developing in Spokane, Redmond or Kent; if we can provide housing for these families closer to their jobs, we will finally start to tackle our traffic, housing and quality of life issues."

Condo conversions

Imagine getting evicted from your apartment, not for anything you've done, but because the owner of the building wants to make more money by converting it into condos. That's the problem addressed by House Bill 2014, which promotes housing security by promoting reasonable notice, relocation assistance and construction-noise protections for renters facing the loss of their homes through condo conversion.

"Too many families are getting shoved out of their apartments this way," said the bill's author, Rep. Maralyn Chase (D-Shoreline). "This bill gives renters some basic protections that they don't have today."