Dear friends and neighbors,
We’re now in week 5 of this year’s legislative session; and this week, my fellow lawmakers and I are debating bills on the House floor into the early hours of the morning. I’ve so enjoyed meeting with constituents who have taken the time to come down to Olympia to advocate for (or against) policies before our body. Today, I’d like to focus this newsletter on what’s being done on the housing front both statewide and in our district (which includes an update on one of my housing bills), share a video with you on what I’m doing to support our veterans, and ask you to join me and my seatmate, Rep. Dan Bronoske, at a town hall the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 17.
Washington’s Housing Crisis
Residents in every corner of our state face the housing shortage, raising rents, and unstable living conditions. There isn’t one single solution to these problems, but increasing our housing supply is a top area where the legislature is focusing its work. Last year, my fellow lawmakers and I passed legislation to remove barriers to building sensible and familiar housing options like accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes, and row houses. This year we continue to work on this by looking at legislation to allow lot splitting with limits (House Bill 1245). We are debating allowing more expanded housing options with bills on co-living housing (House Bill 1998), and supporting our manufactured housing communities (House Bill 2421). We are also finding a way to make it easier to develop unused commercial space into residential units (House Bill 2308). All of these bills have bi-partisan support. Further, we are working to address the significant need for rent and utility assistance across the state to stabilize folks where they live.
My Workforce Housing Bill
In addition to the bills mentioned above, I introduced House Bill 1892, which would create a workforce housing accelerator program by allowing the Housing Finance Commission to administer a revolving loan program for affordable housing construction and to build these needed homes at a faster rate. This bipartisan bill passed out of both committees unanimously as of late last week and its next stop is the House floor.
Volunteering with Pierce County Point in Time
Every day in Pierce County, thousands of people sleep in cars, shelters or on the street. They are someone’s mom, dad, child, or friend. Do you ever wonder how they lost everything and became homeless? I think about this question a lot, and recently spent time volunteering with Pierce County Point in Time to talk to people firsthand and get to know their stories.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Washington State Department of Commerce require communities to conduct a one-day Point-In-Time (PIT) Count to survey individuals experiencing homelessness. PIT Counts are one source of data among many that help us understand the magnitude and characteristics of people who are homeless in our community and provides a snapshot that captures the people living here without a home. Care to learn more or volunteer yourself? Click here.
Finally, I’m so pleased that resources I worked hard to secure last year for the Living Access Support Alliance (LASA) housing and services project was used as leverage to receive additional state dollars through a competitive grant program in the Department of Commerce. As a result, they received an additional $5 million which is critical again, to address our housing and homelessness crisis in the 28th and beyond.
Video Update
Growing up in a military family, I know first-hand how important it is to support our veterans and military families. This session I am continuing my ongoing efforts to improve the lives of our neighbors who have sacrificed so much for us. It was a privilege to receive the 2023 Outstanding Service to Veterans Legislator of the Year Award from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) and the Governor’s veterans’ advisory council for my commitment to this important population. My latest video gives an update on legislation being discussed in the House of Representatives to help support military families and veterans, including our Washington National Guard.
Join Us at a Community Town Hall
Please kindly join me and my seatmate, Rep. Dan Bronoske, at a community town hall on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Dupont. You can send us your questions in advance. Simply scan the QR code in the graphic above or click here to send them in.
We look forward to seeing you there and providing a legislative session update, answering your questions, and most importantly, hearing what matters to you.
It’s my highest honor to serve the beautiful 28th.
Respectfully,
State Representative Mari Leavitt
28th Legislative District