As Seattle’s housing affordability crisis deepens, a surprising group is pushing to scale back some of the city’s robust tenant protection laws for nonprofit landlords. The Housing Development Consortium (HDC), a coalition representing affordable housing providers, is working to pass legislation that would give landlords more flexibility in managing their properties. With a key City Council ally resigning, the group is now looking to advance these changes on its own.
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Nonprofit-Led Push for Legal Rollbacks
The Housing Development Consortium has been collaborating with Councilmember Cathy Moore to change several local laws that nonprofit landlords argue are financially unsustainable. Moore’s upcoming resignation, effective July 7, has put pressure on the group to take the lead in pushing legislation forward.
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Key Laws Targeted for Changes
The proposed reforms include repealing Seattle’s “roommate ordinance,” which currently requires landlords to allow tenants to add roommates or family members. Nonprofit landlords say this rule limits their ability to manage occupancy effectively. Another major target is the city’s winter eviction ban. The new proposal would allow evictions during the cold months for tenants who are found to be deliberately withholding rent. Advocates of the change argue this would prevent abuse of seasonal eviction protections…