An initiative to expand renters’ rights in Tacoma is passing after the latest vote tally
The controversial Tacoma for All Tenant Bill of Rights measure pulled ahead by a razor-thin margin Thursday night. Citizens’ Initiative Measure No. 1 had about 50.6% of voters in favor and 49.2% of voters opposed as of 5 p.m., a difference of 470 votes of 40,702 counted.
The Pierce County Elections Office reported that there were about 6,000 votes left to be counted countywide Thursday. More counts are scheduled next week.
Tacoma for All’s measure was behind in early results Tuesday, with 51% of voters against and 48.9% in favor.
“We’re thrilled. I think this is a historic victory with sweeping implications for the state,” Ann Dorn, a Tacoma for All spokesperson, told The News Tribune on Thursday. “We believe working families made their voices heard. And I think it’s important to know, this is in the face of incredible opposition. We were outspent several times over by the corporate landlord lobby.”
Initiative 2023-01 faced hurdles this fall, including an attempt by the Tacoma City Council to put a more moderate renter’s rights measure on the ballot alongside Tacoma for All’s initiative. But a judge struck down the city’s proposal as “misleading and confusing” because the City Council already had passed that measure into law. In early November dozens of Tacoma for All’s campaign signs were also reported stolen and vandalized with swastikas.
Tacoma for All’s initiative would amend the city of Tacoma’s rental housing code to give renters additional rights, including relocation assistance in cases of 5% or more rent increases, the creation of a tenant and landlord code of conduct and a defense against evictions from November through April, among other changes.
Under Tacoma for All’s initiative, landlords would have to pay tenants at least two months rent if they decided to relocate after receiving a notice of their rent increasing 5% or more.
Some local landlords and developers have said those measures would go too far and make the local housing market more unstable, leading to more corporate ownership and higher rents.
This story was originally published November 9, 2023 at 6:01 PM.
