Newcastle's proposal would include the 3 recommendations by ARCH, but also 1) provide people on fixed income the option to set their payment date, 2) disallow landlords from using a lack of SS number on impacting rental decisions, and 3) carve an exception for small landlords.
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Tonight's discussion will focus on not just which protections get adopted, but also to what sized landlord the protections would apply to.
According to Community Survey data, nearly 25% of Newcastle's households make <80% Area Median Income (AMI).
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W/ passage this evening, Bellevue would be nearly landlocked by areas that passed tenant protections (Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Newcastle, & unincorporated King County). Some Issaquah CMs even tried to tie passage of their protections to Bellevue's.
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CM Joe moves to postpone this discussion until November 7th b/c he wants to see if Bellevue takes this issue on. CM de Michele clarifies that Issaquah's current ordinance only has notice provisions for >3% increases, not separate ones for >10% increases like what was implied.
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Tenant protections have yet to appear on Bellevue's Council agenda, and according to conversations that other other cities' officials have had w/ Bellevue, that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.
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Council question time! The very first question, from CM Hall: "We don't know what Bellevue's going to do, do we?"
City attorney, who says she talked w/ Bellevue city attorney today: "Their Council has not taken this up...They have no imminent plans to consider any of these."
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I do a lot of things & I'm still figuring out how to sort it all out financially.
If you want to support me directly (which supports Urbanist articles, Eastside reporting, and other advocacy I do in several different orgs), maybe donate to my Patreon?
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Addendum - if you like the coverage & advocacy I do on local progressive issues in Bellevue & on the Eastside, please consider donating to my Patreon!
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If you wanna support the work I do with Complete Streets Bellevue, feel free to donate directly there.
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First two speakers at Newcastle City Council are complaining about poor road conditions that could be lowering residents' property values. Supposedly a "slurry" has been used as a road treatment and residents are not happy with it. Say it also poses a safety risk.
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Third speaker echoing concerns of previous speakers, says the treatments recommend a significant liability, will be submitting a claim to the city for damages supposedly incurred to her car from cement dust that blew onto her property from the road treatment.
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Fourth speaker was more of the same, next speaker welcomes the new City Manager, says that roadway conditions at night are unsafe, as her brother in law passed away recently as a pedestrian when he was hit head-on by a bicycle at night. Urges more street lights.
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Another person dissing the new street treatment. Although not a required part of testimony, I think literally every single commenter so far has followed saying which neighborhood they live in with how long they've lived in the city (all >25 years).
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A couple more speakers on the street treatment, now onto the first commenter on tenant protections, who first moved to Newcastle in 1991, moved back and is now in a townhouse where she's paying $3,000/month in rent. "I have no rights as a renter....It's hard to be a renter."
Next is the previous speaker's son, continues her testimony. Says the landlord decided to take property off the market after she negotiated a cheaper rent. Says the city needs to strengthen renter protections "for people like my mother who have strengthened this community."
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Two more in-person speakers on the street slurry treatment, then one virtual speaker. Next speaker is of Housing Justice Project and supports tenant protections, urges the Council to "put people over profit... Renter protections *are* homelessness prevention"
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Rep from the Rental Housing Association, who previously testified at the Issaquah City Council meeting, similarly testifies here to oppose the rental protection ordinance. Using similar arguments as back then.
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Rep from Rental Housing Association of WA living in Ballard opposes ordinance, warns that it might cause landlords to raise rents based on what they believe increases to be in 4 months time. Says 180-day notice in Seattle is driving up prices. Claims it's "close to rent control".
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Next speaker is social worker at HJP, supports tenant protections & asks for no small landlord carveout. Eastside for All rep has similar comments, cites tenant from Redmond who was helped by paying fees in installments, but it wouldn't have affected them if there was a carveout.
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An RHA lobbyist opposes the "restrictive housing policies" that Council's considering. Links rising housing costs in Seattle w/ tenant protection policies and that these policies decrease the supply of rental housing and raise costs.
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TRU rep supports tenant protections and opposes small landlord carve out. Says Newcastle rents have increased 17% in the last year, wants the city to follow the lead of other cities around King County.
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Two more road comments, then a rep from WA Multifamily Housing Association claiming by technicality that the law could be seen as rent control depending on when the effective date is, but doesn't mention how other cities have dealt with this "issue."
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Public comments closed, now onto a proclamation for Recovery Week. After that, will have some Council and staff reports, consent agenda, then the tenant protections ordinance.
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CMs in their comments expressing appreciation for community members who came out to testify on the roads issue. Some suggestions that the City Manager will work with the Transportation Director on a solution.
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Onto the tenant protections ordinance. Starting with a presentation from staff on the goals & proposed provisions. 45% of Newcastle renters earn <80% AMI. 39% are cost-burdened in housing.
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The first slide shows the protections suggested by ARCH. After a discussion in June, staff are coming back with an additional three provisions, including that small-landlord carveout.
Rental properties in Newcastle are either SF homes, ADUs, or complexes with >43 units.
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CM Charbonneau says it's important to have the people at the table who will be impacted by these decisions. Has heard stories from friends and colleagues about their housing insecurities, and that these protections would've helped him at previous points in his life as a tenant.
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Notes that homeowners get more notice on foreclosures than renters do on evictions and rent increases. Says small landlord exemptions are hard to enforce, notes that other cities in King County have already done this, wants city to prioritize renters over those already w/ homes.
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CM Clark admires his colleague's "go getedness" on the issue but has disagreements. "No tenant or landlord is forced by gun to sign a rental contract."
Okay, my dude, we're talking about housing, a basic human need, it's not a gun but it's a pretty strong motivator.
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"My push here tonight is to protect future potential small business owners..." Oh wow, landlords are business owners I just learned, huh. This is informative. "We know that next year, the state is going to push down multifamily housing in zones where we don't want it." Ohhh boyy
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Claims that the RHA has told him that people are taking money from WA and investing it in properties elsewhere b/c of the restrictions being passed.
Afraid that moveout costs might not be paid, "Renters are flighty, or they sometimes can be."
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CM Villaseñor: "We're not strangers to government helping regulate markets. It happens in banking, in the stock market... I don't believe in this market that landlords are going to have issues getting renters. In this market, renters are the ones that are really at risk."
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Opposes the provision to exempt small landlords, accurately notes that landlords own an asset that will still accrue value in this market.
CM Lahkotia takes issue w/ Charbonneau's "privilege to own a home" comment, says that not all were born privileged.
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Says there has to be a balance & calls these provisions extreme. "I don't care what other cities are doing. For Newcastle, we need to have a balanced provision for our community."
(I'm sure that sentiment about other cities is a perspective applied consistently to all issues)
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CM Griffin says he doesn't feel the provision will create more affordable housing or cause rents to go down. Says that it's hard for homeowners to predict maintenance issues happening, like a water heater going out.
(Sounds like standard risks in running a "business", my friend)
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Mayor Newing is "uncomfortable" w/ the ordinance - "There's a time and a place for [local control], but I don't believe it's in regulating businesses, and that is what this does... I don't go to the grocery store & they give me 120 days notice that they're raising prices."
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"This may sound callous... we pay into ARCH so they can build affordable housing in other locations, b/c we want to maintain our community & the high standards that people have come to expect. I don't believe this ordinance upholds that."
A mayor of an Eastside city, everybody.
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Deputy Mayor Sherlock says it's important to show support w/ a lot of different constituents and neighbors. "It's important to show that we care about people in our community, and this seems like a really easy way to do that that could potentially make a big difference"
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Echoes the previous point that homeowners already get similar levels of notice. "I don't know if this is going to lower rents... that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. It shows support of people in our community that could potentially benefit from this."
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CM Charbonneau, responding to the Mayor, says that one can choose to go to a different store or cut on spending habits, but that one can't do that as easily when it's the roof over their head. Moves to amend the ordinance to remove the small landlords exemption.
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Amendment passes 5-2, with CMs Clark and Lakhotia diseenting. CM Clark puts forward an amendment to add an exemption for property owners with less than 20 properties, but City Clerk says it's an improper motion since they just removed the clause entirely.
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Instead puts forward an amendment to exclude accessory dwelling units, an in-order motion. Says the people who might have unexpected expenses and need to raise the rent would need to wait 180 days, implying that's a bad thing.
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CM Villaseñor reminds Council that the ordinance doesn't stop landlords from raising rents, merely increases notice periods. Amendment fails 4-3, Clark, Lakhotia, and Griffin vote in affirmative.
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Clark brings forward another amendment to have changes take effect 30 days after adoption instead of 5 days. CM Villaseñor says it raises a good point on if landlords are restricted from raising rents for leases that are just ending. This motion passes 4-3.
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Now back to the main motion, which now has no carveout for small landlords & provisions that take effect 30 days after passage.
Motion fails 4-3: Mayor Newing, CMs Clark, Griffin, & Lakhotia dissent.
Tenant protections do not pass in Newcastle.
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