Tacoma ballot measure would dramatically reshape tenant protections
Tacoma voters will decide this election whether to pass the Safe Homes For All initiative Measure 1, which would strengthen enforcement of renter protections, increase penalties for noncompliant landlords and require landlords to bargain with tenant unions. The proposal has generated fierce debate, and is the latest in a years-long battle over rental housing rules in the city. Tacoma’s tenant protections are already some of the strongest in Washington. In 2023, voters there passed the Tenant Bill of Rights, which added a suite of new protections, including restrictions on winter evictions, extended rent increase notice periods and mandatory relocation assistance if a renter has to move because of a significant rent hike. But the law did not require the city to enforce it. Since the Tenant Bill of Rights passed, the city has not cited any landlords for violating it. “Many landlords know…