Tag Archives: renters rights

Seattle rent control push sputters as Sawant committee rejects ‘trigger law’ — D3 rep vows push for full council vote in August

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Sawant

Kshama Sawant’s Sustainability and Renters’ Rights Committee of the Seattle City Council voted Friday to reject her proposed rent control “trigger law” bill.

The proposal would bind rent increases for most housing in the city to inflation and created a Rent Control Commission in the city — as soon as a statewide ban on the restrictions is lifted.

Sawant pledged Friday that she would still bring the vote before the full council in August despite the committee rejection but the vote was a blow to the chances of more moderate support on the council emerging.

In a session preceded by around two hours of public comment dominated by supporters of the legislation and “What do we want? Rent control. When do we want it? Now!” chants, Sawant’s committee broke with its chair and rejected the bill 3 to 2 with only South Seattle’s Tammy Morales joining Sawant in voting yes on her proposed legislation.

Sara Nelson, Andrew Lewis, and Debora Juarez voted no.

Juarez

Agreeing that the statewide restrictions on rent control are “unjust,” council president Juarez attempted to make the case that she could not support the bill because the proposal “isn’t a rent control” bill, only a “trigger.”

“I do agree. It is an unjust law,” Juarez said saying the city would be better served by pushing on state leaders to lift the ban.

Sawant countered that while the bill is a trigger law, it would “absolutely put pressure on state Democrats like there has never been.”

Like Sawant, Juarez is also leaving the council after this year.

Lewis, meanwhile, sided with Juarez, saying he did not agree the trigger law would pressure Olympia in an effective way and could not support the bill because of concerns it could damage statewide efforts. Lewis also is seeking reelection.

Nelson declined an opportunity to speak before her no vote. Continue reading →

Sawant rent control push makes Broadway stop with banh mi, boos, and the ‘brutal reality’ of being a tenant in Seattle

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(Images: Ananya Mishra/CHS)

Capitol Hill’s socialist representative on the Seattle City Council is on a showdown with local Democratic leaders as she brings a vote on rent control in the city to a committee vote this week.

The march to Friday’s legislative battle included a skirmish last week on Broadway at All Pilgrims Church where Kshama Sawant held a rare Wednesday night city council committee meeting beyond City Hall and at an hour “working people” could attend.

Calling soaring rents in Seattle a “brutal reality” and “a burning issue,” Sawant said her push for Seattle rent control in her final months on the council had the support of the now renter-majority city.

“Do ordinary people and specifically renters support rent control? Of course they do,” Sawant said. “They don’t need to be told that their lives suck who they are that the mercy of corporate landlords and they need some policy to protect them.” Continue reading →

With months left on her term, Sawant says Seattle rent control fight next after victory on $10 late fee cap

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(Image: @cmkshama)

She has about 250 days to get it done.

Following Tuesday’s vote of the full Seattle City Council to implement a cap on late fees for renters — and hold strong on her original call for a $10 limit over a compromise $50 proposal — District 3 representative Kshama Sawant says more Seattle renters rights battles are still ahead.

“Socialist Alternative, union members, Workers Strike Back and renters mobilized & forced Democrats to reverse their effort to water it down,” Sawant tweeted Tuesday. “Now we need to fight for rent control and a full Renters’ Bill of Rights.” Continue reading →

$10 or $50? Seattle City Council to decide on Sawant’s late fee limits for renters

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The Seattle City Council is poised to put Kshama Sawant’s proposed cap on rental late fees into place — but with a compromise the socialist District 3 representative calls “regressive and gratuitous to the landlord lobby” would place the limit on those fees at $50, not the $10 ceiling Sawant originally proposed.

“On April 7, Councilmembers Nelson, Juarez, and Lewis chose to prioritize the profits of landlords, disregarding all the data and the overwhelming testimony of their constituents,” Sawant said in a call for support for the original $10 cap. “I urge them to support our amendment reversing this terrible vote, particularly Councilmember Lewis, who was elected as a ‘labor Democrat,’ and should be representing the interests of working-class renters.” Continue reading →

Rent a Capitol Hill apartment from one of these companies? You ‘may have rights under antitrust laws to compensation’ as lawsuit alleges price-fixing violations in Seattle

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A lawsuit filed on behalf of tenants accuses a group of leasing companies that control thousands of apartment units in the city including on Capitol Hill of price fixing and antitrust violations that artificially drive rents higher in core Seattle neighborhoods.

Greystar, Trammell Crow Company, Lincoln Property Co., FPI Management, Avenue5, Equity, Essex Property Trust, Thrive, Avalonbay Communities, and Security Properties have been named in the suit for their actions to allegedly control prices at buildings they manage when they “colluded and shared data through RealPage, effectively inflating the prices of multifamily residential real estate in and around downtown Seattle above competitive levels,” according to the federal suit filed Friday.

The Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro firm is seeking renters to joint the potential class action lawsuit. Continue reading →

This Capitol Hill candidate for Seattle mayor can’t make rent — and that’s OK

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(Image: Andrew Grant Houston for Seattle Mayor)

A Seattle conservative radio show host’s attempt to take on mayoral candidate and Capitol Hill apartment resident Andrew Grant Houston over unpaid rent has backfired.

Pundit Jason Rantz targeted the “divest SPD” candidate with an article based on email from Houston’s landlord detailing more than $20,000 in back rent at the unnamed Capitol Hill building Houston calls home.

The gist: Houston’s campaign has raised more than $400,000 for his longshot bid for the mayor’s office largely from the success of its efforts to collect Democracy Vouchers while the candidate has reportedly failed to pay rent.

The unpaid rent is just as likely to garner support for Houston as it is scorn. Turns out, Houston is a lot like thousands of other renters in Seattle who have struggled to make ends meet. Continue reading →

In another win for renter protections, federal judge upholds Seattle’s Fair Chance Housing Law

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The City of Seattle and City Attorney Pete Holmes are touting a victory in ongoing legal challenges against the city’s wave of progressive tenant protections.

A federal judge this week upheld Seattle’s Fair Chance Housing Law, an ordinance passed in 2017 which bars landlords from denying housing to applicants or taking other actions against tenants because of their criminal history, finding that the restrictions are within legal bounds to reduce housing discrimination. Continue reading →

Seattle extends eviction moratorium through September — Thursday rally in Cal Anderson to call for more

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Posters calling for relief for renters from last April as the pandemic set in (Image: CHS)

Mayor Jenny Durkan has announced the city’s COVID-19 crisis moratorium on residential and commercial evictions will continue through at least the end of September as Seattle continues its recovery from the pandemic.

A Thursday night rally in Cal Anderson organized by the office of Councilmember Kshama Sawant to call on the City of Seattle to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of the year is still on.

The moratorium was set to end this month. Under the restrictions, Seattle and King County are covering millions of dollars in payments to landlords to cover unpaid rent. The statewide moratorium has not yet been extended.

“As the first major US city to be impacted by COVID-19, Seattle created an exemplary COVID response template for the rest of the country, which led with establishing one of the first in the nation moratoria on evictions to keep families safe. This swift and early action saved countless lives as we’ve maintained the lowest infection rate, hospitalizations, and COVID-related deaths of the top American cities while also reaching key vaccine milestones,” Durkan said in the announcement of the continued restrictions. Continue reading →

Seattle City Council renters committee moves forward on tenant ‘right of first refusal’ legislation, plus bills to ban school-year and pandemic evictions

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The Seattle City Council’s Sustainability and Renters’ Rights Committee chaired by District 3 rep Kshama Sawant passed a new set of renters rights legislation Tuesday including a bill that could give tenants a right of first refusal when they reach the end of their lease.

The approvals come as Sawant has renewed her push for the ultimate tenants rights prize in Seattle — rent control.

Tuesday, the committee also moved a bill forward that would prohibit student family and teacher evictions during the school year and approved legislation that would establish a new defense against eviction based on financial hardship from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Continue reading →

Sawant proposal would prohibit student family and teacher evictions during school year

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Flanked by the director of the Seattle school board, District 3 representative Kshama Sawant unveiled legislation Monday that she says would prohibit evictions of school children, their families, and educators during the school year.

““When landlords evict families with school-aged children, especially during the school year, the eviction has a devastating impact on the children’s academic achievement, health, and development. The vast majority of evicted schoolchildren have to change schools, abruptly leaving behind their friends, teachers they know and trust, and their social supports,” Sawant said. Continue reading →