2020 Endorsements

Derek Stanford
Senate

I look forward to continuing to advocate for the Housing Trust Fund.  I will also work for legislation to help prevent homelessness, such as Housing First policies, making surplus publicly-owned land available for affordable housing projects, and addressing the income inequality which makes it so difficult for so many people to find affordable housing.  To cope with the pandemic and widespread unemployment, it is crucial to take bold steps to keep people in their homes and help those who have been pushed into homelessness.

Davina Duerr
House, Pos. 1

If re-elected, I will work to preserve existing affordable housing such as manufactured home parks and will reintroduce my bill EHB 2610 allowing Opportunity to Purchase for residents. I also will continue to support bills that I co-sponsored HB 2620 which would expand the tax exemption for new and rehabilitated multiple-unit dwellings in urban growth areas, and HB 2630 which would provide a limited property tax exemption for the construction of accessory dwelling units., HB 2657 extending closure notice periods for manufactured/ mobile home communities, and HB 2746 concerning affordable housing incentives.

Andy Billig
Senate

If re-elected to the Senate, I will continue to do what I have in the past.  Listen to our community and then go to Olympia to advocate for them. Housing and preventing homelessness are clearly priorities and I will continue to address these issues by supporting initiatives such as increased investments in the Housing Trust Fund, funding tools for local governments and tenant protections. We need to make sure everyone has a safe place where they can live with dignity and then make sure they can afford to stay there. That means also looking at issues beyond just the obvious housing solutions. Issues like tax fairness, living wage jobs, good schools/childcare, human service programs, access to health care and efficient transit are also important to helping people to be able to find and remain in stable and safe housing.

Marcus Riccelli
House, Pos. 1

Housing should be a right in this country--not a privilege. If re-elected, I will continue to champion the right of everyone to a safe, healthy, affordable place to call home. I will fight for important housing policies the same way I did to help pass Source of Income Discrimination and will work to promote fairness in evictions and tenant screenings. I will continue to advocate for increased funding for the Housing Trust Fund and other initiatives to make housing more affordable. Everyone has a right to housing, health care and food security - period.

Timm Ormsby
House, Pos. 2

I was born and raised in the heart of the 3rd Legislative District and live on the same block where I grew up.  The 3rd District is the lowest median income district in the state and that informs my judgments and actions.  My lengthy public record reflects standing up for the interests of those without a dominant voice.  I am accessible to all of the district’s constituents, but make a point to seek out folks that are marginalized to learn how state policies and funding can ease their burden.     

My housing involvement dates back to my early days in the Legislature.  I was the prime sponsor of HB 2163 in 2005, which was the first document recording fee to provide flexible dollars to communities in order to address their unique homelessness challenges. Senate legislation that same year began the annual point-in-time homelessness count.  These efforts helped us better understand and acknowledge the scourge of homelessness and begin to address it more seriously.  There have been many subsequent efforts by many other legislators and Legislatures to address homelessness in the ensuing years and I am proud to have supported all of them. 

In my role as House Appropriations chair, I bring the philosophy that we all have a shared destiny.  You nor I can be successful unless and until those around us are successful too.  I believe the best measurement of our affluent society is how well we provide for those who struggle.

Mark Mullet
Senate

I have been extremely proud of all the progress we have made during my time in the Senate on housing issues.  I have always said that we need to bring the landlords along with the tenant groups as we attempt to solve this crisis.   We passed bills around the sealing of eviction records and banning source of income discrimination with bi-partisan votes in the Senate.   I will continue this work in the years ahead to keep these groups talking in a positive manner to help address an issue that is both urgent and important to our State.

I am in the unique position of having grown up in the inner city of Oakland, CA, and seen first hand where affordable housing is or was. Why we keep losing affordable units to high end units. I have been a renter, a landlord and also managed my mom's rental, With this background, I can see many of the complexities of the whole housing issue including supply and demand and how that drives up rents. I will work for long range solutions to this complex problem. One of the main things to focus on is to stop losing the affordable housing we have. It cost too much to replace and we will never do so. We must support policies that keep our naturally existing affordable units, not lose them to new development and keep adding new affordable units if we are going to make this work.

Lisa Callan
House, Pos.2

In my past term I fully supported affordable accessible housing,  renter protection, rapid housing, and investments in low term stable affordable housing, and enhanced sheltering space. As vice chair of capital and human services I will continue to push for these stabilizing investments, work to protect against budget cuts in these times of revenue shortfall, and keep people first in my policy work. No one,  regardless of income or color, should be without access to a safe place to live.

Nearly every day, I hear that there is not enough affordable housing in our district. As our region grows, it is important that communities have a variety of housing types, including apartments, starter homes, and homes designed to allow community members to age at home. We must have leaders in Olympia who are committed to improving housing affordability in rural regions like the 10th District. I've worked with state leaders, local and county officials, non-profits, and industry to increase the availability of housing stock.

I'm proud that I've contributed to the good work over the past two legislative sessions to:

• Invest $175 million to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to help fund housing projects
• Encourage cities to adopt policies that promote infill housing development and housing affordability (HB 1923) and provide cities with a wider range of options for promoting housing affordability, including apartments and condominiums (HB 2343)
• Protect renters from surprise rent increases (HB 1440)
• Give renters more time to find a new place to live if the building is being renovated or demolished (HB 1462)
• Keep renters in their home by giving them 14 days to catch up on their payments before eviction (SB 5600)

I'll continue to work with advocates, local and state leaders, and community members to identify common-sense solutions to increase housing stock of starter homes and multi-family residences, as well as improve permanent supportive housing in our state.

Homelessness and housing challenges are connected, and both are rooted in income inequality. No silver bullet exists for solving this pressing issue, so we must address the many sides simultaneously if we expect to improve outcomes for all our families.

We must create immediate, low-barrier public housing, job training programs, wrap-around services and stronger protections against discrimination in publicly funded shelters. We must also prioritize services including support for those with physical disabilities, and prioritize inclusionary policy-making that ensures those facing homelessness are at the table when decisions are made about their future.

Thinking long term, we must shift the housing narrative from “affordable housing” to “public housing.” Outside the problem of defining what’s “affordable,” the narrative shift has led to reliance on private developers for solutions--even though private developers will never build enough housing to keep costs down since it’s not in their best interest to do so. State and local governments continue to pour tax dollars as subsidies to “entice” private development, often raising regressive taxes to pay for them.

We must refocus on building beautiful communities by increasing mixed income multigenerational public housing stock to eliminate the gap between supply and demand, which will stabilize housing cost inflation including property taxes. This includes working with private & non-profit developers when it’s beneficial to the public, while keeping land in the public domain in perpetuity. To fund this, we need a State Bank providing bridge loans and supports for refinancing homeowners at lower rates.

As a renter living in the 11th LD, a majority renter district I would support Just Cause evictions, ban the box on rental applications and rent stabilization. I would provide renters the same tax incentives and stabilization tools available to home owners. I would also suspend evictions for individuals who were directly or indirectly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. I would provide developers tax incentives to build low-income housing near transportation hubs, and direct the state to purchase land for that purpose. I would require developers of new housing and commercial projects to reserve a certain portion of the project for low-income housing. I would mandate that low-income housing be constructed in environmentally safe areas away from industrial zoned areas, or areas with unhealthy air, water or noise pollution. I would also work with banks to create a financial product that are accessible to low-income people. An example of such a product is the 30-year mortgage which was invented post-WWII to assist returning Caucasian soldiers purchase homes. The State needs to encourage the development of an equivalent financial product.

I have been proud to serve on the Capital Budget Committee as vice-chair when we made record investments in the Housing Trust Fund. However, there is more to do to keep people from needing to access those services in the first place. That is why I have, and will continue to fight for affordable health care and prescription drugs, better access to mental health care, family wage jobs, and a more progressive tax system.

I continue to be committed to working on preventing and ending homlessness. I will support and fight for legislation that allows renters to mediate with landlords, prevents eviction, funds domestic violence programs, looks at zoning laws and auxilliary dwelling units, etc. I will also continue to advocate for safety nets and living wages that alllow families to pay their bills. We also can't ignore funding for mental health and substance abuse programs. We need a collaborative, comprehensive approach to address this issue. It is worth our efforts as having a safe place to stay is foundational.

Support for ending homelessness is important to me and to our state. I have worked to appropriate funds in the state budget to address housing and homelessness. On the local level, I worked with LIHI to get funding for construction of Billy Frank, Jr., Place in Olympia. I will continue efforts to address these problems.

Adequate resources for mitigating homelessness are critical. I was proud in the 2020 legislative session to co-sponsor HB 1590 which authorizes county or city legislative authorities to impose the local sales and use tax for housing and related services by councilmanic action as an alternative to submitting an authorizing proposition to voters for approval of the tax.

Dual Endorsement: Our state is stronger when everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Having access to safe, healthy, and affordable housing is foundational to the health and well-being of our communities. Housing and rent prices continue to rise faster than wages can keep up, and more and more families are spending up to half of their income on housing costs. This puts people at greater risk of falling into homelessness, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and low-wage workers.

To address the housing crisis, we must increase housing options, provide assistance to prevent families from falling into homelessness, and strengthen protections for renters. We need strong support from the legislature to create abundant housing by investing in the Housing Trust Fund, increasing opportunities for first time home buyers, and increasing housing for working families and low-income renters. We need increased funding for supportive housing and renter protections to prevent folks from losing their homes because of temporary setbacks. We also need to allow greener, less expensive homes in transit and job corridors.

As a city councilmember I have taken steps to address this public health crisis by leading the Home Fund. I served on the Association of Washington Cities legislative committee for housing and human services advocated in the legislature for increased support for cities to address homelessness. The state of Washington must treat homelessness as a public health and moral crisis. I will advocate at the state, county, and local levels for increased support and sustainable funding solutions to end homelessness.

As the current State Senator for the 23rd Legislative District and the Senate’s chief budget writer, I am proud of the historical levels of funding that the legislature has allocated over the past two years for affordable housing and homeless shelter programs. During this current global health and economic crisis, helping Washingtonians stay in their homes and providing housing first solutions for people experiencing homelessness will remain critical priorities for me.

In the current economic environment, I am most interested in providing resources and flexibility to help local governments and non-profits work rapidly to deploy a diversity of housing solutions for people throughout the state – things like purchasing and upgrading motels, leasing vacant commercial spaces for temporary shelters, remodeling and rezoning former retail areas, preserving existing housing through targeted maintenance and improvements, helping homeowners stay in their homes with efficiency upgrades, and deploying diversion cash assistance for people experiencing temporary unemployment. 

As someone who has personally survived homelessness, and who works with individuals experiencing homelessness, I strongly believe that housing is a human right. Addressing the statewide housing crisis is a top priority because we need to ensure that no person, regardless of their economic or social background, is forced by a hostile economy to live without a roof over their head.

Through my work as an organizer, advocate, and nonprofit leader, I have supported legislation at the local and state level to advance eviction reform and investment in funding for housing affordability. I have worked closely with legislators in Olympia to promote anti-discrimination policy, in hopes to help the most impacted communities across Washington address the housing crisis.

If elected, I will be a strong voice for housing policy that aims to increase equitable housing access and affordability, continuing my work to ensure that no individual or family is forced onto the streets by financial circumstances. I am dedicated to increased funding for statewide affordable housing programs, especially those right here in my own district. These measures will be particularly important due to the effects COVID-19 is having on the economy and causing thousands of people to struggle to afford their housing payments. I am dedicated to working with WHA and other progressive housing organizations to ensure that Washington State continues taking strides towards ending homelessness.

Steve Tharinger
House Pos. 2

Homelessness is a challenge in every community across the state. As chair of the capital budget committee in the House, I have helped develop some of the largest investments in affordable housing programs in the history of the state from the Housing Trust Fund to shelters. We introduced an innovative  program for community/small homes in this years budget to bridge the gap between shelters and more permanent housing. With your support I hope to continue to be in a  position to make these important investments.

Jeannie Darneille
Senate

My life before entering the Legislature in 2001 centered on work and volunteerism to improve the lives of people in my community.  My roots are in social activism to confront inequities. I served in an executive position in nonprofit social service agencies for 30 years, directing an AIDS organization, a homeless women's shelter, a coalition of food banks, a women's rights organization, a homecare agency, an immigrant serving education program, and an agency serving families with children with developmental disabilities. I have led efforts in Tacoma to reduce homelessness among youth and have prime sponsored many bills in the legislature addressing homelessness and poverty that can include housing insecurity.  I have championed the Housing and Essential Needs Program for two decades and established a state mandate to stop releasing children from state programs into homelessness as well as extending the length of time a youth can stay in foster care.  I have fought for tenant rights, including background check portability, ban the box for persons leaving the corrections system, and increases to the Housing Trust Fund.  When I was chosen to chair the Human Services, I advocated for a separate committee to address homelessness and housing instability; this committee was established in 2019 and I serve on this committee.

Laurie Jinkins
House, Pos. 1

Low-income housing, supportive housing, increased density in housing, tiny homes, ADU’s, low-income home ownership assistance, rental assistance, landlord/tenant law reform.  These are just a few of the housing initiatives I’ve worked on.  With the economic recession we’re in, we’ll have to be even more diligent and creative than ever before. I probably spend as much time on this issue at my job with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, as I do when I am a legislator.  I have earned a reputation as a principled, collaborative, and thoughtful advocate willing to take on tough issues and get results.  I hope to return to Olympia next year to continue solving challenging issues, especially revenue reform, so the state can afford to increase its investment in affordable housing.

The Legislature has failed to fully meet the challenges of providing affordable and safe affordable housing. Meeting the challenge of providing affordable must be the highest priority for funding in our Capital Budget. We must provide a full range of housing options and we must speed up the regulatory and administrative processes to expedite the construction of affordable housing.

I am running for state Senate to fight for equity and justice; I will make every effort to reach out to communities of color, renters, and low-income constituents. Housing security and attainable housing are top priorities for me. Not only is the lack of affordable housing crushing low income families and individuals through-out the state, but there is a homelessness crisis as well. I am also dedicated to fighting for renters and affordable housing as a legislator, and will support housing policies that are for the people, equitable, and community focused. As a renter myself, I am cognizant that there are different housing needs and am focused on supporting housing policies that consider the needs of all community members while keeping equity at the forefront.

Not only is my commitment to housing reflected through my platform, but through my work as well. For example, in my service on the affordable housing levy steering committee, we have pulled in community voices by polling the community in order to put together a recommendation to present to the City Council. Additionally, as the CEO of Tacoma Urban League, I have advocated for including housing in our legislative priorities (SB 6490/HB 2878). Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis has exasperated an already crisis level issue. As the CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, I am making sure we meet these immediate needs. I also oversee a home ownership program that helps community members achieve and sustain successful home ownership through coaching and support.

Mari Leavitt
House, Pos. 1

Especially in the face of COVID 19, so many people are losing their incomes and housing and we need to prepare for the recovery with safe and expanded affordable housing opportunities. There is not one solution and we must approach this issue from many angles. I sponsored and co-sponsored MFTE legislation this past term and worked with a variety of stakeholders from realtors to low-income housing advocates and jurisdictional partners to identify impactful ways to address critical housing challenges. The cost of housing and the homelessness crisis is one of my legislative priorities and I specifically requested to serve on the Housing, Community Development, and Veterans Committee and Capital Budget Committee, where I have worked to increase funding in the Housing Trust Fund.

If elected, addressing homelessness will be one of my primary concerns. As a first-responder in Pierce County for over 20 years I have seen the homelessness crisis from the frontlines, a crisis exacerbated by the current pandemic we face. These experiences enable me to bring empathy for the struggle the homeless face in my district to legislation in Olympia. This empathy is not exhibited by my opponents, real estate agents who don’t view the lack of affordable housing as an issue, and are concerned with the real estate market more than they are with basic human rights.

I support accessory dwelling units in spaces previously zoned for single-family residences. I support creating additional affordable housing supply where there are current shortages through government intervention. As a labor union candidate, I believe addressing the need for affordable housing goes hand-in-hand with improving the lives of workers across the district, and improving their means to achieve housing. Through my time in Olympia as Vice President of my Firefighters union advocating for pro-worker policies, you will not find a stronger advocate for worker’s rights. It is through this holistic lens that I will use policy to address the complicated issue of homelessness in my district, carrying the needs of these individuals in the forefront of my mind with each budget proposal, and with each bill brought to the floor.

I have personal experience with housing instability. I understand the stress and barriers people face when trying to find affordable housing both as a renter and homeowner. COVID-19 has shone a bright light on housing disparities we have always known existed, but now it is impacting a larger population of renters and homeowners. Because the need has increased so drastically, this is an opportunity for us to address the core of the homeless and affordable housing issue. We need to expand resources for public housing authorities, strengthen our infrastructure, and increase the social safety nets in order to pull our people out of this crisis. We will need a large influx of federal dollars in order to make this happen.

We also need to look at current policies to ensure that the outcomes are matching the intent of the legislation. We want to be sure that the laws equitably protect both tenants and landlords. As an example, move-in costs have been a financial barrier for many people and families to get into housing. This past session I sponsored HB 1694 which allows tenants to pay deposits, non-refundable fees, and last month's rent in installments. It also prohibits a landlord from imposing a fee, charging interest, or otherwise imposing a cost on a tenant because a tenant elects to pay in installments. I believe we need more legislation such as this to ensure that there are more opportunities for people to be sustainably housed. Housing is a human right.

These are challenging times because the state budget is being devastated by the pandemic, but there are lots of things we can do to advance additional policies needed to help prevent homelessness, and to ensure that more people have access to safe, healthy, affordable housing. We need to tighten up the definition of “affordable housing,” and not just continue to allow the building of conventional market-rate housing with a few affordable units thrown in. I believe that housing is a human right, and it’s time to codify that and make it the law of the land – and stop the practice of criminalizing homelessness. Although we have passed several bills recently to protect renters from being exploited and discriminated against by their landlords, we have fallen short when it comes to preventing the eviction of tenants without just cause. As a senior House member and the longest-serving member of the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, I believe I am in a unique position to help get that over the finish line next session because I am known and respected by both landlord and tenant-rights advocates – stakeholders who don’t always trust each other, but they trust me. That’s what it takes to get things done – and I intend to use my seniority and experience to help both sides resolve their lingering issues around the eviction process, rent control and housing discrimination. These have become matters of life and death, and we can’t afford another cycle of legislative inaction.

In addition to my prior work as a nonprofit director, I am a small business owner and manage a complex household budget. I understand the pressures facing local families, and the need to maximize resources and deliver services efficiently. Small cities have been unprepared for the challenge of affordable housing and it seems that the county and City of Seattle should be assisting more with supportive services. The 30th LD needs to expand its dialogue on affordable housing for very low-income people and people experiencing unstable housing. We don’t have enough meaningful discussions around the root causes surrounding affordable housing and homelessness. In Olympia I will fight to ensure every family -- regardless of employment status and income -- can keep a roof over their head and access critical services.

Jesse Johnson
House, Pos. 2

Until recently, Washington’s economy was booming, but too many were being left behind. COVID-19 has exacerbated many of the housing and affordability challenges our communities were already struggling with, and has had devastating repercussions for the financial security of too many families and seniors.

Heading into the next legislative session, there will be a desire of many to make cuts to an already austere budget and undermine, rather than invest in our future.  I believe we need to use this as an opportunity to generate the progressive revenue streams that have been voted on for years in Olympia. Closing tax breaks and corporate loopholes that ensure we are all paying our fair share -- including corporations and our wealthiest households -- is the only way to ensure we are able to emerge from COVID-19 stronger, safer, and better prepared for future emergencies.

Cindy Ryu
House, Pos. 1

I have had the privilege of chairing the Housing, Community Development and Veterans Committee the past 5 years and worked with housing champions to advance the policies and funding investments needed to make progress on preventing and ending homelessness and to ensure that more people have access to safe, healthy, and affordable homes. During this COVID-19 response, I am leading a group of legislators to advocate for additional federal funding, improve the Fair Foreclosure Act, and plan for beyond COVID-19. I will continue to support manufactured housing communities to preserve and maintain this  affordable rental and home ownership option for the many seniors and immigrant families.

In my first term, I successfully championed a bill to create a $500,000 revolving loan fund to massively expand recovery housing availability (HB 1528), I secured $1 million in operating funds for housing vouchers for folks discharging from addiction treatment and another $1 million in capital budget funds for recovery housing projects. I also led the successful effort to increase the DOC housing voucher amount from $500 to $700. Additionally, I was also the prime sponsor of HB 2878, the housing justice act. If elected to a second term, I will continue leading housing efforts focused on these priority populations: individuals who are formerly incarcerated and individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, among others.

Mia Su-Ling Gregerson
House, Pos. 2

I will continue to advocate for homeowner and renter protections of those who live in Mobile Home parks.  I will work with advocates, legislators and funders to figure out how to continue to breakdown old financing models that don't help very low income communities who own their home and feel the pressures of low wages, high property taxes or other infrastructure investments that threaten their ability to remain in their community and home.  Most importantly I will continue to support and work with others who are championing great work around these issues.

I have worked hard to advance policies making it easier to build affordable housing in areas well-served by transit and other infrastructure and will continue to fight to streamline processes to allow more affordable homes to be built. I also have strongly supported tenant protections and state and local investments in affordable housing. We have made good progress in these areas but have much more to do given the acute housing crisis that afflicts Washington state.

I will continue to fight for the policies and funding that allow people to access to and permanency in safe, healthy, affordable homes. I've been a proud supporter of increased investments in the Housing Trust Fund, including programs supporting both renters and homeowners. I've supported policies giving tenants more rights to stay in their homes and more notice when they must leave. I will continue broader work on reforming and restructuring our inequitable and outdated tax code so we have the funding available to continue to make these key investments. Housing in a human right.

Dual Endorsement: The lack of both affordable housing and the number of people and families experiencing homelessness has reached a crisis point here in Seattle and across the state and country. With rents and housing costs rising rapidly, the time for inaction has passed. COVID-19 has only put a spotlight on our region’s housing emergency, leaving so many people at risk of losing stable housing during this difficult time. I support an immediate freeze on rent and mortgage payments, and a temporary moratorium on evictions.

The state is a critical partner in fixing this complex issue that affects our urban, suburban and rural communities alike, and I am committed to solving this emergency by being vocal, co-sponsoring key bills and pushing for progressive revenue streams that can fund these investments. I am proud to be sole-endorsed by Representative Nicole Macri who has been a leader on this in the Legislature.
I support rent regulation measures-- like lifting the state’s ban on rent control-- which will end predatory rent increases that have devastated families in Seattle. We must also improve tenant protections and this requires enacting just cause eviction standards. I support Rep. Nicole Macri’s bill to implement a payroll tax for large businesses to address homelessness. I also support a “Housing First” model to get our neighbors off the streets as urgently as possible. A healthy economy, community, and future depends on our collective ability to help every person meet a basic human need of shelter and stable housing.

Homelessness is a crisis across our state and within our District here in the 37th LD. There is not a county in this state that has enough affordable housing. For places that are unincorporated, such as Skyway, this issue especially needs attention. King County is still in a state of emergency with regard to homelessness. I believe in taking a housing approach that builds affordable housing, stabilizing rent costs, and provides wrap-around care for homeless neighbors as we accelerate their access to safe and sustainable housing. For too long, the issue of housing justice has only been on city and regional radars. We must, on a state level:

• Invest in affordable housing inventory and green building practice for all state-funded housing projects
• Expand renter rights to ensure affordability and access to secure and sustainable housing.
• Implement a progressive and equitable tax structure that will allocate money towards expanding housing, such as real estate speculation taxes.
• Repeal the statewide ban on rent regulation
• Enact rent stabilization policies that would help end economic evictions in our state
• Increase investments in the state housing trust fund to build more social housing and affordable housing in every community across our state, particularly around transit hubs that increase the liveabilty of neighborhoods and lowers greenhouse gas emissions

June Robinson
Senate

As I have done in the past 7 years in the State House, I will continue to advocate for and prioritize policies and funding for affordable housing and homelessness.  Our budget challenges will be great in the coming years and we must do what we can to protect and grow investments in housing for communities across the state.

The Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund advocacy resulted in some significant wins in the fight to end homelessness this last legislative session, but I was disappointed that the final budget from our legislators left out needed funding for permanent supportive housing. I look forward to standing up together in Olympia to ensure that policies and funding that have the greatest impact on our most vulnerable are given the gravity they deserve.

With the current COVID19 hits to the state budget, protecting investments in a number of areas is going to be difficult. Whether it is housing, education, social services we are looking a a several billion dollar hole in the budget passed in the last session. Given that, I am committed to protecting public health and safety, as well as shelter wherever we can. The answer to homelessness is one that will require revenue to get people into housing and then the services they need. I would support that.

Liz Lovelett
Senate

A primary focus for my career to date and future legislative action is investing in affordable housing and homeless services, as these types of investments have a positive net gain for our communities and overall well-being. I was proud to co-sponsor legislation for long overdue eviction reform for mobile homes. I sponsored an estate tax bill for transitional shelters and wrap-around services, as well as a short term vacation rental surcharge for local housing funds. I will continue to support legislation that works to provide affordable housing to all members of our communities.

Debra Lekanoff
House, Pos. 1

Housing and homelessness have always been incredibly important issues in the 40th LD and Washington State, and they have come to the forefront of society in light of the current pandemic. Ensuring everyone has access to safe, healthy, and affordable housing is essential for strengthening our communities. When I first ran in 2018, I planned to advocate for more state funding in the capital and operating budgets to address homelessness, invest in affordable housing, and provide better services for members of the community. During the past legislative session, I co-sponsored bills to address the regressive nature of our housing market (EHB 1219), strengthen protections for tenants (SHB 2453), direct property tax revenue towards affordable homeownership and foreclosure prevention programs (HB 2489), and create more affordable housing incentives (HB 2746), among others. While not all of these bills made it out of committee, I am committed to building on them and continuing this work in the next session. As we move forward, we must determine what the housing landscape will look like after the eviction moratoriums expire. This will require long-term efforts that include substantial collaboration between lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, as well as builders, landlords, renters, and homeowners. In the past five weeks, we have seen how much we can accomplish when we all work together. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues, stakeholders, and constituents to create sustainable pathways for access to housing.

Alex Ramel
House, Pos. 2

We need housing champions in Olympia, including people who understand these problems first hand. Fifteen years ago, my son and I got help. The home we could afford because of Kulshan Community Land Trust became the foundation of everything we've been able to do since. I think everyone in Washington deserves a similar opportunity. 

We need to protect and renew the investments made through the Washington Housing Trust Fund to create more  homes that are affordable for the people who live and work here. We need to make sure that when we offer tax credits for housing, that the state sees real gains in affordability. And we need to make sure that renters have the protections that they need to build a stable life.

This crisis presents an amazing opportunity for change - and we must take that opportunity. We can come out better as a society than when it began. I am fighting against an austerity budget that cuts the very services to disadvantaged and marginalized populations. A budget is a moral document. We should never be proud that our state is #1 in having the most regressive revenue stream placing a heaviest burden on those least able to pay. Working with the Tax Structure Workgroup in the Legislature I’m working with others to create a sustainable revenue stream, one that enables us to fund the programs that build a just society.

We know that universal home visits, quality childcare, a continuum of mental health supports, counselors in our schools, and access to affordable quality healthcare produce positive human ROI. Our education system must provide multiple pathways leading to employment opportunities aligned with a 21st Century economy. I will continue my work in these areas.

People who have no access to connectivity are challenged with diminished education, economic development opportunities and I worked to create the Broadband Office to assure connectivity across our state. I’m working to assure the rich environment and resources of the Internet are available at a price all can afford.

We need to redefine what we mean by a “successful economy.” It cannot be measured by GDP. It must be measured by the support it provides and the quality of life it supports for all Washingtonians.

Tana Senn
House, Pos. 1

It was humbling to vote for a state budget this year that made significant investments in affordable housing and reducing homelessness. We must continue to recognize the critical needs of shelter and the supportive services to wrap around individuals and families, like physical and mental health care to job training and child care. n fact, passing legislation this year to provide 12 months of childcare for homeless families was one of my main priorities and a huge win from this legislative session. This synergy between child care and affordable housing can hopefully be leveraged to draw down dollars and attract investment to build more of both.

In addition, with the huge influx in population in our region and state and an aging population, we must ensure there is a full continuum of housing options to help the housing cycle meet the various needs of our residents at all income levels, family sizes, and life stages. Condominium liability reform was a needed change I was thrilled to help lead a couple of years ago and we must continue to review and modify as needed policies that hinder the development of affordable housing options.

Serving on the board of Hopelink also gives me a direct view into the individual stories, changing needs and direct service work in my community to support individuals and families struggling with housing instability and homelessness. This continually grounds and motivates my work as a legislator.

My-Linh Thai
House, Pos. 2

My first term as State Representative has been an incredible opportunity to experience, learn, participate, fight for so many issues that are important to my community and the people i have the honor to represent. Serving as Vice-Chair on the House Civil Rights and Judiciary has given me a direct path to negotiate, debate, and share narratives often neglected in State Government. 

I believe that when people are healthy and safe, they could be a much more productive members of society. To build a thriving community, everyone in that community need a sense of belonging - that what #home is. As a refugee, i experienced what it was like to be uprooted - homeless - in a country filled with wealth. 

When the disparities of wealth in our society grows, our economy stagnates. To build a healthy economy for our State, we ought to ensure that everyone housed, having an opportunity to make a living wage. 

With this belief, my work in WA State Legislature is to strengthen a system that is equitable so that each Washingtonian has an opportunity to reach their full potential from cradle to grave.

Housing is a top priority for me. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Housing affordability is a major concern throughout Whatcom county, forcing families to move out of their homes and communities because of higher prices and rising rents. As a state, we need to continue to invest in affordable housing in communities across the state as well as in the Housing Trust Fund. We need to make sure there is affordable housing in job centers, with access to other services families rely on, but also that families in rural communities have access to affordable housing as well.

While we are increasing our investments in more affordable housing, we must be sure that we are not increasing the tax burden on working families and low- and fixed-income communities. We must make sure everyone is paying their fair share rather than overburdening any of our neighbors.

Sharon Shewmake
House, Pos. 2

As an economist, Sharon Shewmake knows that sometimes good policy is not just kinder and more compassionate, it can also save money and boost economic growth. Preventing homelessness, reducing poverty, investing in people is good economics. We can do this by building smarter with infill development and reducing barriers to affordability using private funds, building affordable housing to fill gaps in what the market provides and by ensuring tenants and low-income folks have a fair shot at staying in homes and finding stability.

Nicole Macri
House, Pos. 1

Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, affordable home and a community that thrives. I’ve spent my life working to achieve this vision. The COVID-19 crisis underscores how our individual health is connected to the safety and security of our neighbors and others across our state. I have been a leader in the legislature in protecting and expanding state investments in affordable housing, homelessness response, behavioral healthcare, income supports and services for low-income and disabled people, and in enacting laws that protect renters and low-income homeowners from discrimination and displacement. We have made great strides in recent years, and there is much more to do. As millions of Washingtonians are suddenly faced with housing instability, I look forward to continuing to partner with advocates to fight for adequate resources and sound policies that ensure secure housing for all.

Frank Chopp
House, Pos. 2

As a community organizer and as a State Representative, I have been the leading advocate at the Legislature for affordable housing and homeless services for many years.  For example, I co-founded, and will continue advocacy for:

• The state Housing Trust Fund, which has provided over $1 billion for affordable, non-profit, rent-controlled housing

• The Home Security Fund, which supports shelter and transitional housing for the homeless

• The Housing and Essential Needs Program, which provides rental assistance

• The Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI), a non-profit organization, which has created thousands of affordable apartment units and several “tiny house” villages

• The Home and Hope organization, which has secured over 20 major properties for development of thousands of affordable, non-profit apartments

• State legislation requiring Sound Transit to provide surplus land and “air rights” above transit stations for non-profit housing

• Several major funding sources for affordable housing, including the Seattle Housing Levies, King County’s Hotel/Motel tax for workforce housing, HB 1590 for supportive housing in counties and more

• Development of several specific projects for  low-income housing (for example, homes for the homeless at Sand Point in northeast Seattle.

I also was one of the early founders of the Seattle Tenants Union and other non-profit organizations fighting for tenant rights and providing support services.

In addition, I support legislation to eliminate the state pre-emption of local rent control ordinances.  And I am actively supporting proposals for payroll taxes on major corporations in Seattle to fund affordable non-profit housing.

John Lovick
House, Pos. 1

There are few issues more important or intersectional than housing. I will fight everyday for affordable homes and affordable communities. People need to live in healthy environments, and that means accessible child care, senior services, after school programs, public transportation, and healthcare services—and I will support and push for measures that help create these comprehensive communities. One of the biggest issues in the 44th District and our entire state is homelessness, and people understand that and will support reasonable measures to help our community members in need. The bottom line is that we need to put our money where our values are and invest in long-term, practical solutions that won’t break the bank, like more affordable housing throughout our state so no community is left behind. But my ideas are only a fraction as important as those of the advocates like yourselves who face the issues firsthand and on a daily basis, and I will commit to working with you to finally tackle this crisis.

Housing first must be a mantra that our state adopts. Without safe, affordable housing people can not focus on basic needs like staying healthy, and accessing education and jobs. The lack of affordable housing in our region and in our state puts the wellbeing of our communities at risk – as new neighbors struggle to find housing they can afford and long time residents face rising affordability costs that threaten to push them out of their community.

As a legislator, I will look holistically at challenges related to housing, and addressing this challenge will be a top priority: investing in the Housing Trust Fund and working to increase housing stock by building affordable housing, allowing for more robust housing density options like ADUs and duplexes, improving tenant protections and rights to prevent unneeded eviction and homelessness, increasing funding for and coordination around homeless services including behavioral health and addiction treatment. And, I will bring a needed conservation and climate lens to development, focusing on sustainable growth around transit lines and more metropolitan areas, where we can build density and also naturally connect people to the transportation, jobs, and services they need, as well as requiring strong energy efficiency standards. Funding for a holistic, housing first approach won’t be easy. A first step will be to look at changes to our state’s regressive tax structure. Even during COVID-19, homelessness remains one of our state’s most prominent issues. We must continue implementing the strategies and providing funding for the housing that will help us meet this critical need and protect the accessibility and fabric of our communities.

A just and equitable society recognizes that housing and healthcare are basic human rights. Race sadly determines access to both in our society. Our State’s regressive tax system contributes to, and perpetuates, inequality. Those with the greatest wealth and privilege pay little proportionately to address housing, health and education. Rather we impose the greatest tax burden to pay for housing, healthcare and education on those with the greatest need. Our tax system must change for us to invest in permanent supportive housing, preservation of affordable housing units, healthcare and food security for all.

I work to change our tax system to support these investments. I support taxing capital gains and adopting an income tax while reducing regressive sales taxes. I am the prime sponsor of legislation requiring that all tax “preferences” be readopted in the biennial budget or die. Tax loopholes are no different than budget expenditures. When we are struggling to fund housing, education and human services in the budget, tax loopholes should not be exempt from elimination.
I will continue to insist that we stop handing out massive tax preferences to developers who do not produce affordable housing units, and who often charge market rates for rent of units they committed to keep affordable (typically for households up 80% median income, which does not even serve our greatest need). Those funds would be far more effectively utilized by non-profit housing providers who will also provide wrap around support services needed by formerly homeless and other low income residents.

In my three years in the Legislature, I have supported policy and budget decisions that strengthen renters rights, stronger rights for mobile park residents, and doing my best to help those who are homeless or facing homelessness. I have supported more investments in our state's housing trust fund and policies that help those who are struggling be able to stay in their homes.

In 2021, with tough budget decisions ahead, we must ensure that our Legislature do its part in protecting our most vulnerable residents from losing their home or those that are facing eviction.

Debra Entenman
House, Pos. 1

I have and will sponsor and vote for bills to give more access to housing. Growing up I was on housing assistance myself, which has helped me know the value and necessity of assisting people find housing. I do not view affordable housing for those that need it as a cost, but as an investment that pays dividends many times over, and I will invest my own commitment to pass legislation that benefits us all on this.

During my time in the House of Representatives, I have consistently supported affordable housing, renter protections, non-discrimination laws, and increased shelter options. I also believe strongly in the importance of wraparound and complementary services, which is why I have helped expand access to and increase the affordability of mental and physical health care. Moving forward, we need to continue partnering with local governments and nonprofit organizations to address homelessness statewide. The solutions will likely be different in different areas of the state. This means we need to fund a robust Housing Trust Fund in the capital budget and provide grants to local jurisdictions to allow community-centered services, interventions, and solutions. We must also continue to increase access to mental health and addiction treatment services, childcare, and other support services.

Annette Cleveland
Senate

As Chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, I distinctly understand the importance of housing as being foundational to health.  Housing stability, quality, safety and affordability all affect health outcomes.  As one of the social determinants of health, access to affordable, safe housing is key to improving health.  For this reason, I view the work of the health care committees as being integral to the work of improving housing affordability and homelessness, and the need for this focus to be an ongoing top priority.  I have worked to be a champion in advancing progress to end homelessness and improve access to affordable housing, both as a prime sponsor of housing related legislation, and as sponsor of bills related to affordable housing and homelessness.  In addition, I have advocated for and supported increased funding for the Housing Trust Fund, and $160 million for housing/homelessness in the operating budget.  I am committed to continued partnership and collaboration with you in determining priorities and moving forward with an agenda that builds on the successes that have been gained these past three years.

I am committed to not rolling back gains in mental health funding, the housing trust fund, recent laws to foster innovative community based programs and food programs for instance. It may be necessary to seek more sustainable funding if revenue for these efforts is reduced through an economic downturn, In my work on the finance committee we are looking for a more fair system long term while being proactive to retain important programs in the short term.

Monica Stonier
House, Pos. 2

I will continue to consider the housing, education, and health care needs of those in our community who are experiencing, or are likely to experience, housing instability or homelessness. Our collective challenges include income inequality exasperated by our state's regressive tax structure, the increasing cost of health care, and the inequities in all institutions facing our communities of color and those living in poverty. I will continue to craft, sponsor, and fight for passage of our best policy solutions in Olympia, and our best community solutions in Clark County.