Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We’re now in week six of this year’s legislative session. For the past week, my fellow legislators and I have been debating various bills on the House floor into the early hours of the morning. However, Feb. 13 was “House of Origin” cut-off, which means that everything that passed off the House floor by this time will be sent on to the Senate for further consideration, and any bills passed in the Senate will now be considered in the House. Bills need to pass both chambers before becoming law. As of this writing, the House has passed 270 bills; 146 were unanimous and 205 have received strong bipartisan support (80+ votes)!
In today’s newsletter, I’m sharing information on what the legislature is doing to address housing affordability, provide news for college-bound students, give you an idea of what’s happening with our state’s transportation budget, and last but not least—I hope you’ll join my seatmates and me at a town hall this Saturday.
Addressing Housing Affordability: Our Commitment to Real Solutions
I share your concerns about the challenges of housing affordability in our community. Despite our robust economy, housing prices have become a significant barrier for many families and individuals. I want to assure you that addressing this issue remains a top priority for myself and my colleagues.
In 2023, we took historic steps, making investments to create 13,200 affordable homes and expanding emergency housing options for 2,300 people experiencing homelessness. However, I understand that the need persists, with rising eviction rates and increased vulnerability among renters. It’s clear that we must focus on creating over a million affordable housing units by 2044.
To tackle this challenge, we’ve consistently increased funding since 2013, reaching a total of over $1 billion in the 2023-25 budgets. This includes a substantial $400 million for the Housing Trust Fund, dedicated to constructing and preserving affordable units.
Looking ahead to 2024, our strategic agenda is laser-focused on critical areas: rent stabilization, enhancing the Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition program, supporting local housing programs, and addressing the unique housing needs of specific communities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
I want you to know that I am committed to finding real solutions for housing and homelessness in our community, ensuring that everyone in Washington has a place to call home.
Exciting News for College-Bound Students
The new, revised, and simplified FAFSA form for college aid is here! From a streamlined application process to increased financial assistance opportunities, here’s what you need to know for the 2024-25 academic year:
Less is More: The redesigned FAFSA has fewer questions, making it easier than ever to apply for grants, work-study jobs, and loans.
Student Aid Index (SAI): The SAI now calculates your ability to pay for college, with more income protected and changes benefiting students with children.
Pell Grant Boost: Over 2.1 million more students could now qualify for a full Pell Grant, providing substantial aid for those with exceptional financial need.
Easy Application: Create your ID on the Federal Student Aid website. The deadline is June 30, 2025.
Soft Launch: While the form is already available online, the Education Department will monitor and fix issues until later in January.
Click here to learn more.
A Deeper Look at the State’s Transportation Budget
This short legislative session presents significant challenges as we tackle rising construction costs for critical transportation projects like ferries, roads, and fish passages. While the 2023-2025 State Transportation Appropriations Act allocated $13.5 billion, Governor Inslee’s proposed supplemental budget (HB 2134) requests an additional $1.6 billion to fulfill promises made in the Move Ahead Washington and Connecting Washington packages.
Recently, the House Transportation Committee had two working sessions with the Washington State Department of Transportation to address difficult choices that will need to be made with this year’s budget. Some of the issues that were addressed include:
- 520 Bridge/Portage Bay: When the legislature initially approved a new concrete girder on the bridge with a targeted completion date in the early 2030s, it thought the price tag would be $800 million. But when WSDOT sent out a bid to complete the project, only two vendors were interested—and their estimate came in at a whopping $1.3 billion. The Seattle Times covered this topic in-depth; click here to read more.
- Fish culverts: Last fall, the Seattle Times reported that the huge spike in costs to help salmon could derail the state’s transportation budget. Over the next two decades, remedying the state’s fish culverts is projected to cost anywhere from $7.3 billion to $7.8 billion, far beyond the $3.8 billion already spent or earmarked by the legislature.
- Proceeds from cap-and-trade auctions: I am proud of the Climate Commitment Act, which passed in 2021. More than 100 projects around the state benefitted from the $76.2 million raised in the first year of cap-and-trade auctions. Money from the auctions is used in our state’s operating, capital, and transportation budgets. These funds are vital to keep important projects alive in our state’s transportation budget.
The transportation budget is certain to receive a lot more media coverage in the weeks to come, and I also promise to continue to keep you updated as we work on these challenges and make some tough decisions.
Join Us at a Town Hall on Saturday!
Please join us, your lawmakers from the 45th Legislative District, for a town hall meeting from 11:30 AM-1 PM this Saturday at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland. This is our chance to hear from you, as well as update you on our work in Olympia on your behalf. Hope to see you there!
Yours sincerely,
Rep. Roger Goodman