Connie,
Week three of the 2010 legislative session
brought housing advocates to Olympia for early morning hearings and more
opportunities to advocate on our top policy priorities. Despite the palpable
stress that the looming policy cutoffs brought, at least one elected official
lightened up the mood during the Housing Trust Fund hearing with a quick
comeback to the bankers testifying against the trust fund on Wednesday.
When Representative Miloscia asked a bank lobbyist a question, the banker
admitted he didn't know the answer but offered to "speculate" to which the
Representative replied, "Oh, please no! The last thing we need is more
speculation by banks!"
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Make one call today to leave messages for all of your elected officials, including the Governor. Call 1-800-562-6000 to ask them all to, "Invest in the Housing Trust Fund, vote yes on HB 2906 to bring both affordable housing and jobs to those who need it most." |
Week three in review: Advocates count the votes.
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Prepping in the van to Olympia |
In the last week before a policy cutoff, it is critical to watch your bill closely and to take advantage of every opportunity to push for votes. Every advocate has a role in getting a bill to the next step in the process. Tenant activists took this to heart on Thursday when they joined the Housing Alliance for a "mini-advocacy day" on the Fair Tenant Screening Act, HB 2922. In Olympia for just over two hours, these activists successfully "pulled" their representatives from committee hearings to confirm their yes votes and met with their legislators' staff to explain how this bill would ensure that no other tenant be subjected to unfair housing barriers and the fees that can make applying for housing prohibitively expensive. Although we also confirmed that more work is needed to ensure that this bill moves, these advocates filled a crucial role in moving the bill forward.
Week four: Four bills waiting to learn their fate.
The fate of four of the Housing Alliance's top policy priorities hinges on being both scheduled for a vote and then winning a majority of yes votes in their House committees by the Tuesday house policy cutoff. HB 2622 - The Fair Tenant Screening Act, HB 2623 - Forbearance from foreclosure for unemployed homeowners, HB 2658 - Regarding the reorganization of the Department of Commerce and HB 2906 - Creating a $100 million dollar bond for the Housing Trust Fund. The Senate's policy cutoff isn't until Friday, so any house bill that has a Senate companion has a second chance to move to the Rules Committee.
HB 2906: Closing a loophole to build housing when our communities need it most.
The Housing trust Fund is the most important thing Washington State does to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live in a safe, decent, affordable home. It's always been a smart investment that leverages other resources: For every dollar we put into the Housing Trust Fund, four additional dollars are leveraged for housing from other public and private sources.
This is the right time for an investment in the Housing Trust Fund:
1.
Investing in housing now allows us to take advantage of lower construction and
land costs--so we get more now than we would in the future
and,
| Putting banks'
opposition to a $62 fee into context: "More than a year has gone by since Congress passed the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street. The Federal Reserve has committed trillions of additional dollars in virtually zero-interest loans and other assistance to large financial institutions resulting in the largest taxpayer bailout in the history of the world. Today, most of the huge financial institutions still standing have become even bigger -- so big that the four largest banks in America (JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup) now issue one out of every two mortgages; two out of three credit cards; and hold $4 out of every $10 in bank deposits in the entire country." -Senator Bernie Sanders, VT. |
2. An investment now will provide housing for thousands of families in need, many who are struggling because of the current recession. It will provide homes for families leaving homelessness, low-wage working families, the elderly, people with disabilities, and more and,
3. The HTF will create jobs at a time when Washington needs them most. The Employment Security Department of Washington State recently released numbers detailing job losses for 2009. The hardest hit sector was the construction industry, with a third of the year's job losses coming from that industry. One in six construction jobs that existed a year ago are now gone.
How does HB 2906 work?
HB
2906 proposes $100 million in revenue by a creating a general obligation bond
that is backed by closing the loophole in document-recording fees. It would
establish a $62.00 fee to record "assignments and substitutions" of
mortgages. Document recording fees have been used since at least 2002 to
fund the operations and maintenance of affordable housing for very low-income
households and for emergency and youth shelters. However, fees on the
assignments and substitutions were exempted from the recording fees.
Closing this loophole will generate approximately $15 million a year.
Oregon already charges fees on these types of documents and the funds are
dedicated for affordable housing and interestingly housing activists report that
Oregon banks didn't oppose this. New revenue sources, either through taxes
or the closing of loopholes, is our only means of continuing the State's
commitment to ending homelessness and making progress towards providing safe and
affordable housing for the resident's who need it most.
| Funding the Housing Trust Fund now with $100 million dollars would allow Washington State to build at least 2,231 units of housing. According to the National Association of Home Builders, that would generate: 2,722 jobs--mostly in construction; $124 million in wages for workers; $51 million in income for local business owners; and $18 million in taxes paid to local governments. |
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The Housing Alliance's other Policy Priorities: Two-year notice for manufactured housing community closures, SHB 1581 (Liias) SSB 5550 (McAuliffe). Please call your Senators to tell them to support this bill so that it can move out Senate Rules. Department of Commerce reorganization, HB 2658 (Kenney) & SB 6515 (Kastama). The house version is scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade on Monday at 1:30. Surplus Property for affordable housing, HB 2138 (Simpson) This was voted out of committee last week and is in House Rules. |
Highlights of other important bills: King County excise tax for affordable housing and the arts, HB 2912 (Quall) & SB 6661 (Murray). Both had a hearing last Thursday with the Housing Alliance and several members testifying in favor. Exempting affordable housing from local impact fees, HB 2566 (Simpson). A substitute bill passed out of the Local Government and Housing and is in House Rules. Exempting housing authorities from laws governing the construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of property by other public bodies, HB 2517 (Dammeier) and SB 6327 (Regala) . The house bill had a hearing on the 14th (the Housing Alliance signed in pro) and the Senate bill is scheduled had a hearing last Tuesday in Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance. Planning for the discontinuation of discharge of vulnerable populations from state institutions into homelessness, HB 2905 (Miloscia) and SB 6478 (Regala), Both had hearings last week. Concerning funding for infrastructure that supports dense, affordable development in transit-oriented areas, HB 1360 (Ormsby), had a work session in Ways & Means on Thursday. Addressing Supportive Housing (The Home Security Fund), HB 2900 (Goodman). A substitute version was heard last week in Local Government and Housing. Creating a workforce housing program, HB 2753 (Orwall) & SB 6589 (Kauffman). The House bill is in House Rules and has been placed on second reading. Protecting and assisting consumers and homeowners from unfair lending practices and during foreclosure proceedings, SB 6648 (Kline), Had a hearing on Thursday in Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection. |
Extending notice to quit for residential tenants, HB 2484 (Roberts) and SB 5549 (Kohl-Welles). Both were placed on second reading. Authorizing port districts to participate in community-based activities to provide shelter or housing for certain populations, HB 2563 (Nelson). This bill had a hearing on Jan 18th in Local Government and Housing. Concerning the definition of a service animal, HB 2438 (Moeller). WA Law Against Discrimination is no longer considered substantially equivalent by HUD & this bill attempts to fix that. It had a hearing first week of session in Judiciary, but isn't scheduled for executive session yet. Concerning inspections of rental housing, SB 6459 (Hobbs). This bill had a hearing in Financial Institutions & Insurance but hasn't been scheduled for executive session. Regulates paid signature gathering, SB 6449 (McDermott). This bill had a hearing a couple weeks ago, but hasn't been scheduled for executive session yet. Concerning real estate broker licensure fees, HB 2697 (Conway) . Charges a $10 realtor license fee to support WSU real estate research center. Passed out of Commerce & Labor last week and referred to General Government Appropriations. The Housing Alliance opposes; Providing transitional housing for persons at risk of experiencing homelessness, SB 6338 (Regala) . Excludes tenants in transitional housing from the Residential Landlord Tenant Act and allows a mere 48 hrs notice to vacate. Had a hearing last Thursday in Senate Human Services and Corrections. The Housing Alliance signed in Con. |
