SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL - Record No: CB 120606

• Record No: CB 120606
• Version: 2
• Council Bill No: CB 120606
• Type: Council Bill (CB)
• Status: Did Not Pass
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Sustainability and Renters' Rights Committee
• On agenda: 8/1/2023
• Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to tenant protections; establishing rent control provisions; regulating residential rent increases; establishing a Rent Control Commission and District Rent Control Boards to authorize rent control exemptions; establishing enforcement provisions; adding a new Chapter 7.28 to the Seattle Municipal Code; and amending Sections 3.06.030 and 22.214.040 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
• Sponsors: Kshama Sawant
• Supporting documents: 1. Summary and Fiscal Note, 2. Central Staff Memo (6/30/23), 3. Presentation (added 7/8/23), 4. Rent Control FAQ - July 2023, 5. Presentation (7/12/23), 6. Amendment 1, 7. Amendment 2

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
8/1/2023	2	City Council	not passed	Fail
7/21/2023	1	Sustainability and Renters' Rights Committee	do not pass	Fail
7/12/2023	1	Sustainability and Renters' Rights Committee	discussed
6/30/2023	1	Sustainability and Renters' Rights Committee	discussed
6/27/2023	1	City Council	referred
6/23/2023	1	Council President's Office	sent for review
6/14/2023	1	City Clerk	sent for review

CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to tenant protections; establishing rent control provisions; regulating residential rent increases; establishing a Rent Control Commission and District Rent Control Boards to authorize rent control exemptions; establishing enforcement provisions; adding a new Chapter 7.28 to the Seattle Municipal Code; and amending Sections 3.06.030 and 22.214.040 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
body
WHEREAS, Article 25 of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes housing as a human right; and
WHEREAS, Seattle faces an affordable housing and homelessness crisis as rising rents have forced thousands of Seattle renters out of their homes, neighborhoods, and the City; and
WHEREAS, between 2010 and 2018 average rent in the Seattle area rose 69 percent while inflation for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W) in the Seattle area rose only 20.3 percent; and
WHEREAS, rental housing industry analysis firm ApartmentList.com calculated that average Seattle rents increased 23 percent in 2021; and
WHEREAS, the "Seattle Housing Market Forecast for 2021" of real estate investment consulting firm Mashvisor notes that "Seattle real estate investors are continuing to enjoy a good return on investment on rental properties...Although affordability continues to be an issue for local residents, it does have a positive aspect for Seattle real estate investors. Owning a rental property in Seattle does mean high demand which translates into good occupancy rates and cash flow"; and
WHEREAS, a national study published in the Journal of Urban Affairs established the correlation between increasing rent and homelessness including that: (1) Washington is the tenth most expensive state for renters; (2) the high cost of rental housing is driving increases in homelessness; and (3) an increase of $100 in median rent for an area results in a 15 percent (metro areas) and a 39 percent (nearby subu...