Recent Blog Posts
As the 2025 Legislative Session is behind us, the Housing Alliance is doing a lot of reflection on what our community of Housing Advocates accomplished during the session. Over 5,700 individual advocates took action during the 120-day session – often multiple times – and there was a lot that was accomplished in addition to HB 1217 which outlawed rent gouging.
Summarizing such an impactful legislative session is a hugely difficult task, but in addition to HB 1217, the Housing Alliance and the growing statewide network of housing justice advocates that worked with us this session did amazingly protective work for our neighbors around the state. Even though there is so much more work to be done, we hope you’re able to take a moment or two to feel proud of our shared accomplishments. The whole Housing Alliance team has enormous gratitude for those who shared in the work with us.
Here, we want to cover some of the other key bills that passed and that will positively impact housing and homelessness. We also highlight a couple that didn’t make it all the way but are likely to come back in 2026.
Transit Oriented Development (HB 1491): Signed into law – 5/13/25
Sponsored by Representative Reed. Key advocacy champion: Futurewise
This important legislation will increase development of multifamily housing near rapid transit by preventing local governments from blocking this housing from being built within residential zoned areas surrounding a station area; the law also ensures that these development projects maintain a portion of their units for affordable housing for 50 years. Affordable housing development near important station areas will ensure low- and moderate-income tenants have access to accessible, walkable transportation services and will help prevent displacement and gentrification as our communities densify.
Local Government REET for Affordable Housing/Housing Services (HB 1791): Signed into law – 4/24/25
Sponsored by Representative Paul
HB 1791 will provide local governments with much more flexibility in how to use local REET options for affordable housing. In the past, there have been many restrictions on how local Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET) could be used to fund much-needed affordable housing projects. However, with this bill now law, there is much more flexibility in how these funds may be used to fund affordable housing development.
This law changes REET in the following ways:
Expands allowable uses of Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) 1 and 2 revenues.
Removes the expiration date and one-million-dollar cap on using REET for affordable housing and homeless facilities.
Makes permanent the ability to use up to thirty-five percent for operations and maintenance of affordable housing.
Exempts certain affordable housing sales from REET.
Years ago, it would have been difficult to get this bill passed; this session due to Representative Paul’s amazing work, it was able to be passed without amendments.
Closing the Document Recording Fee Loophole (HB 1858): Signed into law – 4/21/25
Sponsored by Representative Scott
HB 1858 closed a loophole in who pays the Document Recording Fees that fund housing & homelessness services and the covenant homeownership act. This loophole allowed financial institutions selling mortgages to avoid paying the Document Recording Fee, denying funds for emergency shelter and other important homelessness and housing programs across the state. Ending this loophole will generate over $38 million in annual funding for these services. In the most difficult budget year in recent history, legislation like Representative Scott’s 1858 is crucial in securing services for our neighbors most in need of assistance especially as the federal government discusses deep cuts to housing and homelessness programs.
Prohibiting Nonessential Mandatory Lease Provisions (SB 5313): Signed into law – 5/7/25
Sponsored by Senator Pederson
Nonessential mandatory lease provisions, such as a mandatory garbage valet fee, have allowed landlords to artificially increase their profits by charging tenants for a service they may not want or need. Senator Pedersen’s bill to prohibit landlords from requiring the payment of nonessential services gives tenants the option to opt out of such services if they do not wish to receive the service. Fees like the mandatory “valet garbage” that many landlords are forcing tenants to pay for, drive up the cost of rent in a state where housing costs are already untenably high for most Washington residents, and bills like SB 5313 (at introduction) will help tenants keep their monthly housing costs down.
Unfortunately, the final bill the was passed is much different than the bill at introduction, and it eliminated the portion of the bill that dealt with nonessential services. However, even if the bill was changed significantly, the final version outlawed lease provisions that prohibit a tenant from joining a class-action lawsuit against their landlord, lease provisions that prohibit tenants from sharing the details of their lease and rent amount, and lease provisions that require arbitration for disputes unless the landlord pays all costs associated with the arbitration process. These tenant protections ensure that tenants maintain their right to open communication with their neighbors and ample tools to hold landlords accountable.
Compliance with Siting, Development, and Requirements for Shelters, Transitional Housing, Emergency Housing, and Permanent Supportive (STEP) Housing (HB 1195): Died in the House Rules Committee
Sponsored by Representative Peterson
Even though this bill did not make its way through the legislature this year, we expect to see it come back for the 2026 Legislative session. This bill, if passed, would establish regulations that a city or county under the Growth Management Act (GMA) may not deny or preclude permit applications for Shelters, Transitional Housing, Emergency Housing, and Permanent Supportive (STEP) Housing if the project is located in a residential or commercial zone. Legislation like HB 1195 would significantly limit the ways that local government could stop the development of much needed housing and shelter across the state. As local governments continue to create barriers to these homelessness solutions, lawmakers should pass this bill in 2026.
Local Government REET for Affordable Housing, by will of the voters (HB 1867): Died in House Rules Committee
Sponsored by Representative Ramel
Another bill that did not pass but deserves highlighting was Representative Ramel’s bill to allow voters to impose a new .5 affordable housing REET. This option already existed but technically was only available to one county. This bill expands the ability of counties, and newly cities, to increase local funding for affordable housing. Additionally, if counties do not impose the affordable housing REET by January 1, 2027, the authority to do so goes to any city within the jurisdiction. We hope that the legislature passes this bill in 2026, as more funding for affordable housing is needed especially as the federal government threatens significant cuts.
For those interested in reviewing all the bills that the Housing Alliance supported and opposed in the 2025 Legislative Session, we’ve updated our Bill Tracker tool with the outcomes for all of these bills and more. If you have any questions on the Bill Tracker, please reach out to ashet@wliha.org for more information or clarification.
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