Blog

How is it already almost June?! Continue Reading

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you for your membership in this association.  At last month's Business Exchange, it was evident to me that we have a vibrant and proud association and a wonderful WMFHA Team.  Continue Reading

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, observed annually in May, celebrates and honors the contributions, achievements, and rich cultural heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our communities. Here at WMFHA, we are taking time to celebrate the heritage and... Continue Reading

“I'm proud that I started at the bottom as a leasing agent and learned the industry from the ground up. I think it’s proof that with tenacity and grit, as well as being connected to those that can champion you with their influence, you can accomplish things that you never thought were possible.” Continue Reading

Well, we can finally check off the 2023 legislative session and say that we had a pretty successful run this year. What started out as a pretty nerve-racking session with many bills introduced that took direct aim at our industry, ended up being a fairly benign session with only a few bills... Continue Reading

This summary of the Washington Residential Landlord-Tenant Act was created by Joe Puckett, founding Board Member and former Director of Government Affairs. Each year, to coincide with the Virtual Legal Symposium (VSL), this document is updated, summarizing new laws passed by the Washington... Continue Reading

May 19 is the filing deadline for local, city and county, elected races. Although WMFHA has traditionally focused mostly on state races, with recent actions at city and county councils, it has become imperative that we, as an association, start becoming more active in these races. The WMFHA PAC... Continue Reading

The Government Affairs Committee (GAC) created two ad hoc subcommittees, the Seattle Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA) and Required Notification committees. The EDRA subcommittee is tasked with discussing appeals and implementation of the Economic Displacement Relocation... Continue Reading

The Seattle Office of Housing has updated their requirements for “holding deposits” for MFTE units after receiving feedback from housing providers. As of April 2021, MFTE communities were only able to collect a holding deposit of $100 for MFTE units upon application. In addition,... Continue Reading

Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant is urging her supports to sign a petition to pass rent control in Seattle and is drafting an ordinance so it can be rubber stamped by her Sustainability and Renter’s Rights Committee before moving to the full council. Although it wouldn’t... Continue Reading

We are still accepting candidates for the Public Affairs Manager position at WMFHA. This position supports our association’s visible and proactive government affairs engagement with priority jurisdictions throughout Washington State, working with elected officials, stakeholders, and public... Continue Reading

On Tuesday March 21, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that s key portion of a Seattle law meant to guard against housing discrimination is unconstitutional. In their ruling, they found that barring landlords from asking prospective tenants about “any arrest record, conviction... Continue Reading