Policy Priorities

Housing & Health:

Housing insecurity, housing unaffordability, and homelessness are public health crises that jeopardize the physical and mental health of our communities for years, if not generations. Housing issues are also health equity issues. Due to generations of systemic racism, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are more likely to be unhoused or inadequately housed than white Washingtonians, and Black adults are disproportionately represented in evictions throughout the state.

To address the egregious racial and health inequities that persist for unhoused and housing insecure people in our state, we advocate for policies that get and keep people housed. We focus on policies that (1) increase the supply and variety of housing options, (2) ensure the long-term affordability of housing, and (3) prevent those at risk of homelessness from becoming unsheltered through robust tenant protections.

Progressive Taxation:

Taxes have the ability to affect health in two ways: (1) they fund the programs essential for a healthy society, and (2) the structure of a tax code can either increase or decrease economic inequality.

Washington state has the second most regressive tax code in the country, meaning the wealthiest among us pay the least while those struggling to make ends meet pay the most. Our tax code exacerbates economic inequality, harming everyone - even the wealthiest among us. People with fewer resources at their disposal experience the worst health outcomes through exposure to harmful environments, decreased opportunity for educational and occupational advancement, and decreased access to the resources necessary to prevent and cope with disability and disease.

At WPSR, we advocate for a balanced tax code where the wealthiest among us pay what they truly owe to our communities and we’re able to fully fund vital social programs to keep our communities healthy. In the past few years, we’ve made significant strides towards balancing our upside-down tax code: we passed the historic Capital Gains Tax and were able to fully fund the Working Families Tax Credit. These were incredible wins, but there is still much more work to do!

2025 Policy Wrap-Up

2025 was an unusual year for our priorities due to WA state’s $16 billion revenue shortfall, but through our advocacy and work in coalition we fought to protect our vital services, fix our upside down tax code, and pass policies that keep people housed and healthy.

What passed:

  • Rent Stabilization: Sponsored by Rep. Macri, originally introduced by Sen. Alvarado, and with a companion from Sen. Trudeau, this bill stabilizes rents in Washington for manufactured homeowners at 5% and residential tenants at 7% plus Consumer Price Index (a measure of inflation) or 10%, whichever is lower. While this bill is groundbreaking in many ways, unfortunately, the residential tenant cap is higher than we had hoped and will be unaffordable for many renters. This is a start and we will keep fighting for stronger protections.

  • Capital Gains Tax and Estate Tax Expansion: Sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, this policy adds an additional rate of 2.9% on capital gains over $1 million, while keeping the 7% tax on capital gains over $250,000. In addition, this policy modernizes the estate tax, making it more progressive. (Pending Governor signature.)

  • Significant investments for housing in the Capital Budget, including: $605 million for the Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve affordable homes of all kinds, and additional capital funds to grow the nonprofit affordable housing repair fund. Plus additional funding for youth shelter. (Pending Governor signature.)

  • Investments for homelessness prevention and services in the Operating Budget: The Operating Budget included significant investments in homelessness services to backfill the funding shortfall. (Pending Governor signature.)

What didn’t pass this year:

  • Preventing local governments from criminalizing homelessness: 2024’s US Supreme Court ruling of Johnson v. Grants Pass made it easier for local governments to fine, arrest, and otherwise punish people for surviving outdoors, even if there is no adequate shelter available. Sponsored by Rep. Gregerson, this bill would have ensured that laws regarding the criminalization of people sleeping outside were “objectively reasonable.” While this may not sound like much, this would help give legal standing to the fight against unjust laws that perpetuate homelessness through criminalization.

  • Financial Intangibles Tax (aka Wealth Tax): Sponsored by Sen. Frame and Rep. Berg, this 1 percent tax on intangible assets worth over $50 million would be a big step forward in balancing our inequitable tax code. Funding would have gone to education. This bill did pass the Senate this year for the first time.

  • High Earners Payroll Tax: Payroll taxes on social programs such as WA’s Paid Family Medical Leave are capped at $172 thousand. This bill would have been paid by employers on wages over the $172 thousand cap.

  • The Affordable Homes Act / REET: Sponsored by Rep. Berg, this bill would have created a permanent fund source for affordable housing, including funding the Housing Trust Fund. It would modify the state Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) to be more progressive and create a local REET option.

  • The Working Families Tax Credit Age Expansion: Sponsored by Rep. Thai and Sen. Saldaña, this bill would allow all qualified applicants 18-24 to receive the Working Families Tax Credit. Currently, unless an applicant has at least one dependent, they must be ages 25-64.

  • The Washington Future Fund Pilot (Baby Bonds): Sponsored by Sen. Trudeau and Rep. Stonier, the WA Future Fund would deposit funds into an account for each baby in WA that received Medicaid before their first birthday. These funds would grow over 18+ years and could be withdrawn when the babies reach adulthood for wealth building activities. Baby bonds programs are designed to disrupt generational poverty and reduce racial and geographic wealth gaps. In 2025, the bill was a proposed pilot program where 40 adults who would have qualified for baby bonds as infants receive a grant to use on wealth building activities.

  • Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot: This policy was on hold for 2025, but we will support it in the future.