Tacoma teachers, nurses, & grocery workers support Measure 1
Our Enforcement System is Broken
Since Tacoma voters passed the Tenant Bill of Rights in 2023, the City Council has not enforced the law.
Just one fine against a law-breaking landlord has been issued. While families deal with hazardous mold and illegal rent hikes, the Council has tied the hands of enforcement staff, mandating requests for voluntary compliance over accountability. Most tenants don’t bother reporting violations, many fearing landlord retaliation. This gives corporate slumlords a green light to ignore our rights while we pay the price with our health, stability, and dignity. Our most vulnerable neighbors—disproportionately racialized, LGBTQ+, and low-income renters—are often trapped in unsafe housing.
A Tacoma Where Neighbors Look Out for Neighbors
We envision a city where we and our neighbors are protected by more than just words on a page.
But SAFE Homes for All isn't just about enforcing the law–it’s about building community and fighting racial inequities. By protecting tenants’ right to organize without fear of retaliation, and to bargain over living conditions, we ensure no one has to face corporate landlords alone. We want to see the end to racist practices such as redlining and disparate eviction rates. We are building a stable Tacoma where outside corporations respect our laws and where all families can put down roots.
People Power vs. Corporate Profit
We will win this initiative the same way we won the Tenant Bill of Rights: by organizing a grassroots movement across Tacoma.
Just as we predicted, corporate landlords are pouring money into PACs trying to defeat Measure 1. Recently, Seattle’s Goodman Real Estate dumped $175,000 into the Rental Housing Association’s PAC. And, even more disturbing, the CEO of GRE was the largest local Trump supporter after the January 6 insurrection. This is not someone we want to influence what happens in our community. Tacoma belongs to us, not outside billionaires, and it’s time we take our homes and our city back.
Meet the landlord spending $175,000 against Measure 1
“GRE Shirley Tacoma LLC” is owned by Goodman Real Estate, a Seattle-based multi-billion-dollar corporate empire.
The $175,000 check from Goodman Real Estate is over half of the landlord lobby’s war chest against Tacoma tenants.
George Petrie was Washington state’s top Trump donor in 2021, starting "three weeks after the Jan. 6 fiasco at the Capitol” (Seattle Times, 8/11/2021). After bankrolling Trump’s violent attempt to overturn our national democracy, Petrie is now spending big to corrupt our local democracy.
MYTH #1
“Tenant rights will raise rents by discouraging development.”
New home construction permits rose by 62% since last year–AFTER Tacoma voters passed the 2023 Tenant Bill of Rights. The only study on Tacoma’s tenant rights found no impact on rent prices or new construction.
REALITY CHECK:
MYTH #2
“Measure 1 will cost $10 million.”
Comparable programs across Washington–from Bellingham to Bellevue to Vancouver–cost a fraction as much and are funded by annual fees on landlords of only $15 – $35 per-unit.
REALITY CHECK:
MYTH #3
“Affordable housing will suffer by passing Measure 1.”
Non-profits and small landlords are exempt from investigation and cost-recovery fees. Responsible landlords who follow the law are protected while repeat offenders and large corporate landlords pay for enforcement.
REALITY CHECK:
Accountability for Lawbreakers
Mandatory fines for confirmed violations (ranging from $500 to 5x rent) that go directly to the impacted tenants and deter slumlords.
The Right to Organize:
Legal protection to form tenant unions and a requirement for landlords to bargain in good faith over conditions and leases.
Education & Transparency:
Education and compliance support for small landlords and a searchable public database of landlord violations, evictions, and rent hikes.
Protecting Public Funds:
By charging the highest fees to corporate landlords and those with multiple violations, we ensure the burden of enforcement stays off the backs of Tacoma taxpayers.