FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 12, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT

Letters of Interest Due July 17 at Noon to Serve on
Rental Housing Ballot Measures ‘For’ and ‘Against’ Committees

TACOMA, Wash. – The City Council’s adopted Resolutions 41237 and 41238 concerning ballot measures on rental housing regulations are now available at cityoftacoma.org/notices.

• Measure No. 1 would require landlords to comply with health and safety laws before raising rent or evicting a tenant; set limits on certain rental fees; require landlords provide two notices to increase rent and offer relocation assistance when the increase is 5 percent or more; create a defense against certain student/schoolyear evictions, evictions between November 1 and April 1, and evictions against servicemembers, seniors, families and others with protected status under the measure; and provide penalties and enforcement mechanisms.

• As an alternative, the Tacoma City Council proposes Measure No. 2, which would repeal and reenact portions of the City’s rental housing code and require landlords to comply with health and safety laws; have a City license before increasing rent or evicting tenants; set limits on rent late fees and pet deposits; require 120 day notice to raise rent; add new regulations for shared housing; standardize screening criteria for tenant income required to qualify for housing, for reviewing tenant’s criminal history and identification.

Those interested in being considered for appointment to committees advocating “for” or “against” Measure No. 1 or Measure No. 2 are asked to submit a letter of interest indicating the ballot measure number, whether they are advocating “for” or “against” it, their place of residence, and why they would like to serve on the committee.

Letters must be received in the City Clerk’s Office at 747 Market Street, Room 220, Tacoma, WA 98402, or via email at cityclerk@cityoftacoma.org, by noon on July 17, 2023.

The Government Performance and Finance Committee will consider appointments to the “for” and “against” committees on July 18, 2023 at 10 AM.

Statements prepared by the “for” and “against” committees will appear in the voters' pamphlet, and are due to the Pierce County Auditor on or before August 3, 2023, with rebuttal statements due on or before August 7, 2023.

The ballot measures will be on the November 7, 2023 General Election ballot.

Community members with questions about the process or the ballot measures are asked to contact the City Clerk's Office at cityclerk@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5505.

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