‘Rent Is Out of Control’ town hall Thursday in Seattle

SEATTLE — The M.L. King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO is urging all area union members and community supporters to attend “Rent Is Out of Control,” an important Affordable Housing Town Hall on Thursday, April 23 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 600 4th Ave., to share their unaffordable housing stories, to discuss solutions to the affordable housing crisis, and/or to examine ways to expand tenant rights.

The MLKCLC passed the following resolution in support of the event:

Whereas, the average price of a home sold in Seattle rose 18.9% last year to $535,000, and the average rent of a one bedroom apartment in Seattle approached $1,500/month in 2014; and

Whereas, rents are rising faster in Seattle than in any other major U.S. city; and

Whereas, more than 47% of Seattle rental households were rent-burdened, paying more than 30% of their incomes for rent and utilities; and

Whereas, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, CHAS, found in their 2006-2010 five- year American Community Survey that 15%-20% of all Seattle tenants, including almost 35% of black and African American tenants, are extremely rent-burdened, paying more than 50% of their income on housing; and

Whereas, rising rents have been accompanied by a decrease in families of color in Seattle in 2014 despite an overall population growth of 1.3%.; and

Whereas, the extreme lack of affordable housing in Seattle has become a crisis that is particularly devastating for working class, middle class, and low-income families, as rising rents and home prices force thousands out of the city or into homelessness; and

Whereas, the labor movement has a critical role to play in solving the affordable housing crisis, especially Building Trades workers, who have the skills to build large-scale affordable housing projects;

Whereas, strong Project Labor Agreements and Community Workforce Agreements will insure that the housing project construction helps create long-term career opportunities through apprenticeship, prevents wage theft, and protects labor standards; and

Whereas, the “Rent is Out of Control” Affordable Housing Town Hall has been endorsed by many labor, community, and media organizations such as IBEW Local 46, Teamsters 117, Puget Sound Sage, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA), Community Housing Caucus, The Stranger, Real Change, the Tenants Union of Washington State, Transit Riders Union, Standing Against Foreclosures and Evictions (SAFE), 15 Now, Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), Sawhorse Revolution, Church Council of Greater Seattle, Nickelsville, Socialist Alternative, Seattle Displacement Coalition, and Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (SHARE); therefore, be it

Resolved, that the Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, hereby endorses the “Rent is Out of Control” Affordable Housing Town Hall on Thursday, April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, to discuss bold solutions to the affordable housing crisis like rent control, tenants’ rights, and public investment in affordable housing; and be it further

Resolved, that the MLKCLC will communicate this support to its affiliates and to the WSLC, urging that they also endorse the “Rent is Out of Control” Affordable Housing Town Hall; and be it finally

Resolved, that the MLKCLC will encourage its members and those of its affiliates to attend the “Rent is Out of Control” Affordable Housing Town Hall to share their unaffordable housing stories, to discuss solutions to the affordable housing crisis, and/or to examine ways to expand tenant rights.