RENT STABILIZATION

ACTION ALERTS

Senator Shewmake needs to hear loud and clear: she is wrong. We will not forget who stood with renters—and who sold us out.

TAKE ACTION for Rent Stabilization:

🛑 STEP 1: Call Senator Shewmake Right Now

📞 Office Number: 360-305-0356

Your voice matters—keep the pressure on. We're asking you to flood her phone lines today and every day until the House restores the original 7% flat rent cap.

➡️ After you call, text or message your contacts and ask them to do the same. Post it everywhere. Share it widely.

📢 Sample Call Scripts

🗣️ The Outraged Renter

Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a renter in Whatcom County.

I’m calling to say that I am outraged that Senator Shewmake proposed and passed a change to raise the rent cap from 7% to 10% plus inflation.

Senator Shewmake, you are wrong—10% plus inflation is not fair. It's rent gouging. People in your district and across the state are already struggling. We need real protections, not watered-down bills.

Restore the 7% cap now.

🗣️ The Concerned Neighbor

Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I live in Senator Shewmake’s district.

I’m calling because I care about our community.

Raising the rent cap to 10% plus inflation is a betrayal of renters who are already one rent hike away from homelessness.

This decision doesn’t reflect the values of our community.

We expect better. Reverse this mistake and restore the original 7% cap.

🗣️ The Advocate for Justice

This is [Your Name], and I’m calling to urge Senator Shewmake to support renters—not developers.

The change to HB 1217 makes the bill toothless. It will NOT stop displacement. It will NOT protect vulnerable renters.

Senator Shewmake, you are wrong. Please do the right thing and restore the 7% cap.

STEP 2

📢 Spread the Word

We need this message to reach EVERY renter, every advocate, every concerned Washingtonian.

Post on your socials, message your friends, share in your group chats. Let’s get loud.

📱 Sample Social Media Posts

Instagram / Facebook:

Thanks to your calls, Shewmake backed off a 15% cap. But now it's 10% + inflation, which could STILL mean 12%+ rent hikes every year. That’s not fair. That’s rent gouging.

☎️ Call her NOW: 360-305-0356
Tell her: You are still wrong. Restore the 7% cap.

Twitter / X:

Shewmake dropped her amendment from 15% cap to 10% + inflation—but that’s STILL rent gouging.

That’s not rent relief. That’s just politics.

Call now: 360-305-0356
Tell her: YOU ARE STILL WRONG.

✉️ STEP 3: Email Senator Shewmake

📬 Email: sharon.shewmake@leg.wa.gov

Once you’ve called, follow up with an email. A written message adds to the pressure and shows that renters are paying attention—and organizing.

Personal stories are powerful. If you’ve faced steep rent hikes or housing insecurity, share that. If you’re short on time, copy and paste one of the sample messages below.

📄 Sample Emails

Subject: Restore the 7% Rent Cap in HB 1217

Dear Senator Shewmake,
I’m writing as a renter in your district who is deeply concerned about your amendment to HB 1217. While I appreciate that you changed the cap from 15% to 10% plus inflation after public pressure, that is still unaffordable for many renters.

We are counting on you to protect us—not landlords and developers. The original 7% cap was already a compromise. Please do the right thing: restore the original cap and support renters across Washington.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City or Neighborhood]

Subject: Your Amendment to HB 1217 Still Harms Renters

Senator Shewmake,
Your amendment to HB 1217 weakens what should be a historic tenant protection bill. Changing the rent cap to 10% plus inflation is not meaningful protection—it’s rent gouging with a different label.

Renters in Whatcom County are already struggling. We need real relief, not watered-down legislation. Please reverse your amendment and support restoring the 7% cap.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Subject: We Need Real Protections in HB 1217

Dear Senator Shewmake,
I urge you to reconsider your amendment to HB 1217. While changing it from 15% to 10% plus inflation is a small step, it’s not enough. Renters deserve better.

This amendment still puts thousands of people at risk of rent hikes they cannot afford. Please restore the original 7% cap and stand with tenants, not corporate landlords.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]