landlords

Since Tacoma voters approved a ballot initiative that introduces new regulations called the Landlord Fairness Code to the Tacoma Municipal Code, there’s been a lot of questions about the initiative. The City of Tacoma has answered some about the process and what happens next. The Landlord Fairness Code was adopted into the Tacoma Municipal Code and is a city law as of Dec. 8. City Manager Elizabeth Pauli reiterated this in a study session of the city council on Dec. 5.

The final release of election results for Pierce County showed a victory for those who have been pushing for a set of progressive tenant protections in Tacoma. “We feel really proud of what we've achieved. It was a real David versus Goliath kind of fight,” said Ty Moore, campaign manager for Tacoma For All, the group behind the initiative. Citizens’ Initiative Measure No. 1 passed with 50.43% of the vote, a difference of just 370 votes. There was quite a strong push against the measure — $371,175.84 in expenditures were reported from “No on Tacoma Measure No. 1,” according to the Public Disclosure Commission. That’s triple what Tacoma For All spent.

Organizers from the housing justice group Tacoma For All and their supporters gathered with signs and megaphones Thursday afternoon to show their support of the initiative, known colloquially as a tenant bill of rights, which Tacoma For All hopes to get on the ballot for voters this fall.The rally took place before a meeting of the city’s Community Vitality and Safety Committee, where city councilmembers Catherine Ushka, Keith Blocker, Sarah Rumbaugh, and Kiara Daniels were briefed on the city’s proposed changes to the Rental Housing Code.

Renters who are behind on their rent in Washington will get a few more months of protection from eviction. On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new eviction moratorium that will run through September 30. The current moratorium expires June 30 — the same day the state is set to fully reopen.