Together we can make Bellingham a city for the many, not just the wealthy few.

We believe stable housing is necessary to provide the opportunities and security people need to live healthy and successful lives and create thriving communities.

Today, skyrocketing rents are pricing our neighbors out of town or into homelessness. Landlords profit and dominate our political system. If this continues, working people will be unable to afford to live in Bellingham. Our community is hurting — and we're fed up.

By coming together, we can build our political power and pass new laws that protect our health, safety, and access to housing. 

Renters are a majority in Bellingham. We have power — we just need to get organized. 

Update on Rent Stabilization Legislation (HB 1217)

Thank you to all the advocates, organizers, and allies who have fought hard this session to advance rent stabilization in Washington. The final version of HB 1217, which includes key protections for both residential tenants and manufactured homeowners, represents a significant milestone in our ongoing struggle for housing justice.

This bill was shaped by the collective effort of hundreds of tenant leaders and organizations across the state. It wasn’t easy—we’ve been up against some of the most powerful lobbies in Olympia. But together, we’ve shifted the conversation and made real progress toward stopping rent gouging in Washington.

While the final version of HB 1217 includes compromises—most notably raising the cap from a flat 7% to 7% plus CPI—many tenant advocates, including the Housing Alliance and key legislative allies, see this policy as the best version likely to pass this year. With upcoming shifts in the political landscape that could make tenant protections even harder to achieve, locking in these gains now offers a foundation to build upon in future sessions.

Here’s what this bill does:

• Prevents excessive rent increases for residential tenants

• Caps rent increases for manufactured homeowners at 5%

• Introduces statewide protections that could help prevent homelessness and economic evictions

This isn’t the end of the fight—far from it. Our housing system still needs bold, systemic changes to ensure all Washingtonians have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. But HB 1217 is a meaningful step forward, and a reflection of the power of tenant-led advocacy.

We’ll continue to share updates as they become available. Thank you for standing with us—and for continuing the fight to make housing a human right in Washington.

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