Two proposals are before the state legislature that look to put some limits on ever-increasing rent prices, which some lawmakers say are contributing to rising homelessness rates.
The proposals (26)____ caps on rent increases, preventing landlords in the state from raising rent more than the rate of inflation in most cases. There are exceptions for buildings less than 10 years old, public housing, improvements beyond maintenance, and a hardship (27)____ .
In a 2020 study, researchers at the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that every $100 in rent increase is (28)____ to a 9% rise in homelessness. Rent increases have an even more detrimental effect on some demographic groups, such as racial minorities.
Representative Alex Ramel explained why he thought that this kind of legislation was so important, telling the story of a (29)____ struggling to live in the community.
Ramel pointed out the (30)____ effect of double-digit rent increases, saying that he made the decision to introduce the legislation while talking to a young man in Bellingham. "He's a recent graduate from Western Washington University and just got a new job," Ramel said. "He was leaving our community because his landlord (31)____ him that his rent was going to go up by $600 a month."
The Rental Housing Association of Washington opposes the legislation. The association (32)____that the policy won't actually solve the problem of rental prices. Instead, it will punish small landlords and allow wealthy renters easy access to cheap housing.
"The rent control policy has failed everywhere it has been (33)____ in this county. It has not fixed one housing problem (34)____ . It also does not distinguish between rich and poor when (35)____ who gets the benefits of rent control," said Chester Baldwin with the Rental Housing Coalition.