FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rob Huff, robh@wliha.org, (253) 229-5769

The Gap report shows why Housing Trust Fund investments and HB 2266 are so critical

The lowest income households in Washington continue to face a severe shortage of affordable and available rental homes in the latest The Gap report published today from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 
Contact: Rob Huff,robh@wliha.org, 253-229-5769 

NEWS ADVISORY - Critical bill to legalize solutions to homelessness passes out of the Senate 

Today the Senate passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266 to remove barriers to the siting of permanent supportive housing and shelter in a critical step to ensure Washington can respond more quickly and efficiently to the ongoing affordable housing and homelessness crisis. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026  
Contact: Rob Huff, robh@wliha.org, 253-229-5769

Critical bill to legalize solutions to homelessness passes out of committee  

Today the Senate Housing Committee passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266 to remove barriers to the siting of permanent supportive housing and shelter in a critical step to ensure Washington can respond more quickly and efficiently to the ongoing affordable housing and homelessness crisis.

The 2026 state legislative session is right around the corner. Although it will be a difficult session plagued by budget shortfalls and fast-moving legislative deadlines, our movement is strong, and we are ready for the challenge. Together, we'll keep beating the odds and will continue to make progress towards our vision of preventing and ending homelessness, advancing affordable housing, and protecting renters in their homes.

Housing costs continue to rise across Washington, and today's release of the Out of Reach report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) shows that a full-time worker earning minimum wage in our state would need to work 2.1 jobs to afford a modest one-bedroom rental home at fair market value.

With the passage of HB 1217, many renters and manufactured homeowners in Washington are now protected from rent gouging. Want to learn more? Join the Housing Alliance for two training sessions that will go deep into the ins and outs of the new law.

Lawyers will discuss who is covered, additional protections included in HB 1217, and how to enforce your new rights. These trainings are free and open to renters, manufactured homeowners, service providers, and advocates. Both sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish.

Please register in advance:

On the last day of session -- sine die -- the House and Senate both passed the final version of the rent stabilization bill! While not everything we wanted, this will provide predictability and protection from rent gouging for tenants all across Washington. Passage of this bill represents an important step forward, toward housing justice, and gives us a strong foundation to further improve tenant protections in the future.

Dear friends and colleagues,

With love, laughter, and a shared determination to carry her work forward, we remember our friend, teacher, and mentor Nancy Amidei, who died earlier this month at her home.