One of the things I’m asked from time to time is “why is Habitat Washington getting involved in rental issues?” Historically, we’ve stayed away from these kind of issues in Olympia, intentionally choosing not to wade in. Habitat’s wheelhouse is in homeownership, not rental. With the Cost of Home campaign however, we’ve seen a shift in that focus. Habitat understands that rental is an important part of the housing spectrum and in order to help create solutions to build a world where everyone can afford a place to call home, we need to invest in the entire housing spectrum. As Alanna McCargo from the Urban Institute recently share with us at Habitat on the Hill, “if renting is unaffordable, then homeownership is not attainable.”
“If renting is unaffordable, then homeownership is not attainable.“
Alanna McCargo – Urban Institute
This session, we’re supporting a wide range of bills that will impact renters and hopefully, make things easier for people across the spectrum. One of the bills that are still moving in Olympia (as of Feb. 24, 2020) is HB 1694. As anyone who has rented before, moving into a new place is very expensive – particularly the upfront costs. In some apartments, the initial cost to move into a new place can include first month rent, last months rent, and a deposit – which sometimes can be a full months rent as well. Throw in the application fees, tenant screening fees, and so many other fees, the cost to move into an apartment can get huge – and often unaffordable. HB 1694 works to change that – or at least make it more affordable.
This bill would allow for renters to ask to pay this in installments – breaking up the cost from one huge chunk of cash – to three installments, making it much more affordable. It’s not perfect but it makes it easier to rent. We’re supporting this bill – and others like it – because renters frequently become homeowners. And if renters can afford to save money, they may become homeowners.
This is just one bill we are supporting in Olympia in this short session. If you want to see more about what bills Habitat Washington is supporting, check out our legislative agenda page here.