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A service for political professionals · Friday, March 29, 2024 · 699,700,454 Articles · 3+ Million Readers

Representative Frame at White House: “We must do more for working families”

OLYMPIA – State Representative Noel Frame (D-Seattle), outgoing chair of the House Finance Committee, met with the White House today, speaking to senior administration officials on the need to do more to lower costs for working families, and the efforts the Washington State Legislature has taken in recent years to tackle the housing crisis and improve the state’s regressive tax code.

“Washington state has the fewest number of housing units per household of any state in the country. We need to build 225,000 homes to meet current demand,” Frame said. “The units we do have are very expensive, leaving renters cost-burdened with one-third or more of their monthly income going to housing.”

The Legislature has allocated over $2.5 billion in 2021-2023 and Supplemental Operating and Capital Budgets funds for rental assistance, building affordable housing quickly, and expanded homelessness services.

In 2022, the House considered, but did not pass, legislation to address the “missing middle” in housing, a change to state policy that could make it easier for families to find affordable housing (HB 1782). Missing middle legislation would expand middle-form housing near transit sites, providing options that keep workers closer to their jobs instead of having to move further away and increasing their commute costs. This change to zoning laws could allow construction of more duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes that are more affordable than single-family housing.

“Missing middle legislation would expand middle housing near transit sites, providing options that keep workers closer to their jobs and making our communities more livable and walkable,” said Frame.

Additionally, the Legislature has put $25 million aside for homeownership assistance programs, a critical housing strategy that is also a key tool for working families to build wealth and can help reduce intergenerational poverty.

Rep. Frame also highlighted recent progress to reform the state’s upside-down and regressive tax code, which disproportionately impacts the lowest income households in Washington state. Through the passage of the Working Families Tax Credit (HB 1297) and the Capital Gains Tax (SB 5096), which made significant investments in childcare care and early learning access, and the introduction of the Washington State Wealth Tax (HB 1406) on financial intangible property in excess of $1 billion, Frame drew attention to how consequential and intersectional tax policy is for working families.

“We have clearly identified the challenges working families face in our state. Now, we must act to do more, and make sure Washington is a place everyone can succeed,” Frame added.

Rep. Frame attended the “Lowering Costs for Working Families: Health Care, Economic Security, Housing” White House event with lawmakers from across the country. The event provided an opportunity to identify policy areas Democratic lawmakers prioritized in their home states and share ideas and goals with peers from Idaho, Wisconsin, Colorado, Tennessee, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

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