Tacoma’s Safe Homes for All initiative would expand tenant protections, increase penalties for rental-law violations, and establish additional licensing and enforcement requirements.
The proposal appeared on the Nov. 3 ballot as Initiative Measure No. 1, building on tenant protections voters approved in 2023.
Tacoma’s Safe Homes for All Initiative was leading with approximately 60% of the vote in the latest independently verified results, as ballots continued to be counted. The November 3 election results are scheduled for certification November 24, knkx.org reported.
Initiative 1, called Safe Homes For All, seeks to improve compliance with Tacoma’s renter protection laws by requiring the city to investigate complaints about landlords. If the city finds that a violation has taken place, the landlord would have to pay the tenant a minimum of $500, or up to five times the monthly rent for more serious violations.
The initiative also creates a new per-unit rental registry fee, and requires landlords to bargain with renters who form tenant unions.
The proposal generated heated debate and massive spending in the final weeks of the election. Supporters argued that the regulations would add accountability and prevent rampant issues with code violations and illegal rent hikes.
City officials in Tacoma have expressed concern about implementing the measure, and there are lingering questions about how much it will cost the city to enforce.
Landlord and real estate groups rallied against the initiative, arguing that the new fees and regulations would make housing less affordable by driving small landlords out of Tacoma.
Much of the opposition was led by the Rental Housing Association of Washington. In response to the results, the group said in a post on Facebook that, while the results aren’t what they hoped for, “we respect the voters of Tacoma and the democratic process.”
“Elections come and go,” the post said. “Our commitment to the people and communities we serve continues.”
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