Governor Ferguson signs 10 housing bills, including new statewide rent protections

SEATTLE — Governor Ferguson on Saturday signed a package of 10 housing-related bills at Blake House, a 2023 permanent supportive housing building,calling the legislation a major bipartisan step to address Washington’s housing shortage.

The bills cover a range of policy changes: property tax relief for disabled veterans, clearer rules to encourage condominium construction, incentives for accessory dwelling units, limits on local parking mandates for housing projects, streamlined permitting, stronger tenant protections and a high-profile rent-protection law. ‘‘We made a lot of progress,’’ Ferguson said, thanking legislators, advocates and community members who pushed the measures to his desk.

The most consequential measure, introduced as House Bill 1217, places statewide guardrails on rent increases that advocates and sponsors described as an ‘‘anti‑gouging’’ policy. Senator Emily Alvarado, a lead sponsor, said housing "is not a luxury. It is a basic human need," and framed the bill as a way to prevent ‘‘unchecked excessive rent increases’’ that have displaced families.

Advocates at the event underscored both the urgency and limits of the change. Rebecca Gardea of the Q Law…