TACOMA TENANTS

a citywide union movement

Author: tacomatenants_5cswf6

  • Senate Bill 5600

    Senator Darneille (27th District) and Senator Conway (29th District) have signed on to support Senate Bill 5600 which enacts meaningful and necessary tenant protections by reforming the eviction process in Washington state. This is excellent news, and we want to thank them for their support! They are getting a lot of opposition from landlords and need to hear from us!

    Senator Darneille’s number is (360) 786-7652.

    Senator Conway’s number is (360) 786 – 7656.

    The bill extends the current 3-day notice to pay past due rent. This extension helps to make sure tenants have some time to prevent their eviction. The bill also allows judges to use discretion to provide alternatives to eviction. For example, a tenant who has been hospitalized and fallen behind on rent could get a payment plan rather than getting evicted. The bill also makes the language on eviction notices more understandable.

    Eviction is one of the primary causes of homelessness in Pierce County, and it disproportionately impacts marginalized populations, including women (especially single mothers), people of color, and people with disabilities. Between 2012 and 2017, almost 20% of all black adults in Pierce County experienced eviction. These reforms are absolutely necessary. Please call and voice your support.

    By passing this legislation, Washington will join 25 other states in protecting tenants from the hardships of eviction–securing housing stability for the 40% of Washingtonians who rent their homes.

  • We are continuing to fight for more protections for more renters across the state!

    The Tacoma Tenant protections take effect in just over one week, but we are continuing to fight for more protections for more renters across the state. The legislative session in Olympia began last week, and there is a lot of energy for addressing the housing crisis. We have to make sure legislators hear directly from renters who are experiencing outrageous rent increases, unjust evictions, and more.

    Please join us in calling on legislators to pass sweeping reforms for housing justice. Here is our platform you can use as a reference.

    Please write and/or call your state legislator today. Tell them you want to see:

    • Just Cause (landlords must provide legitimate reason to terminate tenancy),
    • Rent Control,
    • Eviction reforms (for example, 21 days to pay rent instead of just 3),
    • Funding for low income housing,
    • Your priorities for housing justice.

    You can find your legislators here.  

    If you live in Tacoma, your legislative district is 27, 28, or 29. Check your address here. The phones and emails of these legislators are below! It just takes a few minutes to send 3 emails and/or make 3 phone calls. Please contact them today! They constantly hear from the well-funded landlord lobby, so let’s make sure our voices are heard so we can win tenant protections across Washington!

    District 27

    District 28

    District 29

    Another option is to Take Action with the WA Low Income Housing Alliance. You can use this form to automatically send an email to your legislators asking for the tenant protections.

    And look out for more opportunities to get involved!

  • Our first city-wide training on the new tenant protections

    Our first city-wide training on the new tenant protections

    Tacoma Tenants Organizing Committee Logo

    Join tenants from across Tacoma as we celebrate and discuss the new tenant protections we won! The Tacoma Rental Housing Code takes effect Feb. 1, and it is vital for renters to know our rights and how to exercise them. We’ll discuss the new protections and how to report violations to the City. More info is available here: www.cityoftacoma.org/rentalhousingcode

    We will then discuss our campaign for statewide housing justice which calls for tenant protections including Just Cause, eviction reform, protections we passed in Tacoma, and rent control. We are also calling for a statewide enforcement agency, housing as a human right to be codified into law, and funding for low income housing.

    *This meeting is geared toward tenants and tenant supporters.

    The entrance is on Tacoma Ave and is fully accessible. ASL interpretation will be available. If you have other accessibility needs, please email: tacomatenants@gmail.com 

    ¡Únase a los inquilinos de todo Tacoma para celebrar y discutir las nuevas protecciones para inquilinos que ganamos! El Código de Vivienda de Alquiler de Tacoma entra en vigencia el 1 de febrero, y es vital para los inquilinos conocer nuestros derechos y cómo ejercerlos. Discutiremos las nuevas protecciones y cómo reportar violaciones a la Ciudad. Más información está disponible aquí: www.cityoftacoma.org/rentalhousingcode

Luego, discutiremos nuestra campaña por la justicia de vivienda en todo el estado, que exige la protección de los inquilinos, incluida la Causa Justa, la reforma de desalojo, las protecciones que aprobamos en Tacoma y el control de alquileres. También pedimos que una agencia estatal de cumplimiento de la ley, la vivienda como un derecho humano se convierta en ley, y la financiación para viviendas de bajos ingresos.

* Esta reunión está dirigida a los inquilinos y sus partidarios.

La entrada está en la avenida Tacoma y es totalmente accesible. La interpretación de ASL estará disponible. Si tiene otras necesidades de accesibilidad, envíe un correo electrónico a tacomatenants@gmail.com

  • We Did It!

    We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that we won! Tacoma City Council unanimously passed the tenant protections on Tuesday November 20th! Over 50 of us were there in support and dozens addressed the Council, urging them to pass the ordinance. We are deeply grateful to all the tenants and supporters who have fought so hard for this new code, and we thank the Tacoma City Council for listening to us and voting yes! Shout out especially to ChiQuata Elder, Landlord Tenant Coordinator, and all the City staff who worked so hard to make this happen.

    The City is already getting heat from landlords over these new protections, and it is imperative that we supporters share with the Mayor and Council Members how crucial these protections are, and how much we appreciate that the Council did the right thing for tenants and the right thing for Tacoma. Please take a moment to thank them by sending an email expressing your gratitude. Their email addresses are here:
    victoria.woodards@cityoftacoma.org; anders.ibsen@cityoftacoma.org; robert.thoms@cityoftacoma.org; keith.blocker@cityoftacoma.org; catherine.ushka@cityoftacoma.org; chris.beale@cityoftacoma.org; lillian.hunter@cityoftacoma.org; conor.mccarthy@cityoftacoma.org; ryan.mello@cityoftacoma.org

    Below is just some of the media coverage:
    Tacoma News Tribune Editorial: “Tacoma renters with low to moderate incomes are finding themselves increasingly at the mercy of landlords willing to take advantage of our region’s competitive housing market. It’s why a new city ordinance tops our list of things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.”
    Tacoma Weekly: “The group plans to champion the issue in the coming year both within the city and with state lawmakers during the next legislative session with the argument that just cause policies are needed to avoid landlords from discriminating against tenants.”
    Q13 News: “This is just the beginning, said Seay. “We’re not stopping; we’re going to the state; we’re going as far as we can go.”
    Komo News: “It’s amazing,” said Seay. “It just goes to show you what can happen when people actually come together.”

    On November 20th, we also shared objections to a possible amendment that would exempt single family rentals from relocation assistance and 120-day notices in the case of renovation, demolition, or change of use. We know that all renters need equal protections, especially the 37% in single family homes who are concentrated in Central, South, and East Tacoma. Fortunately, Council Members heard our concerns, and the amendment was withdrawn before going to a vote. The other amendments took valuable steps–including voter registration information for tenants and making the 60-day notice for rent increases take effect Nov. 30, instead of waiting until Feb 1.

    Tacoma Tenants Organizing Committee also suggested the 60-day notice for termination of tenancy take effect immediately. We are concerned, based in part by comments from landlords, that some tenants may receive 20-day notices between now and the effective date of the Rental Housing Code, February 1st. We hope that landlords would not stoop to this level to avoid the impending laws, but we want to remain vigilant. If you or anyone you know receives a 20-day notice in the next month or two, please reach out to us: tacomatenants@gmail.com

    We’ve had quite the journey getting to this point, but this is just the beginning! We still know we need to fight for Just Cause protections and rent control! And we need tenant protections to be implemented at the state level. We also want to make sure every tenant in Tacoma is aware of these new protections and knows to report any violations.

    Look out for opportunities in the coming weeks and months to connect with us! Onward in the struggle for housing justice!

    Tacoma Tenants Organizing Committee
    Info@TacomaTenants.org

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