Rep. Ramel | What we’re fighting for in the final stretch: Housing, safety, & dignity

We are in the final stretch of the 2026 legislative session. Last week, we passed our proposed budgets in the House. Now we are working with the Senate to negotiate final budgets. I look forward after session to sharing a full breakdown of what made it into the final budget – what we funded, what we protected, and where we pushed forward amid the chaos caused by the federal government.

At the heart of it all is one simple question: Are we building a Washington where people can afford to live, learn, and belong? That question drives much of our work, especially on housing.

Housing Is About People

Across Washington, families are being squeezed. In Bellingham and cities across the state, rent has climbed year after year. Data collected by the University of Washington’s Real Estate Research Center shows what people who have looked for housing recently already know all too well: costs are rising faster than wages and it’s forcing families to make impossible choices.

Last year, we passed HB 1217 to stabilize rents and bring predictability back to the housing market. That data will start coming out over this year, and we will be watching closely. Rent stabilization is not about punishing landlords. It is about protecting families from sudden, devastating rental spikes that force displacement.

And stabilization alone is not enough. We also need to build more homes of all kinds.

Streamlining Permits & Using Land Better

We cannot build more land. But we can use the land we already have better. Right now, many commercial areas sit partially or entirely vacant. They already have roads, sewers, water, and transit. They are ready for homes – if we ask cities to allow it.

SB 6026/HB 2480 would make sure cities cannot entirely and outright ban housing in commercial and mixed-use zones. Zoning reform is not the only step needed to build housing. But it is a necessary one. If housing is illegal to build, it will never be built. But even when zoning allows housing, permitting can stall it. We passed this bill out of the House on Friday.

HB 2418 brings clarity and accountability to the permit process. Today, permitting is often slow, fragmented, and unpredictable. Delays happen across departments. Applications get bounced around. Builders wait months, sometimes years, with no clear timeline resulting in cost increases for buyers and renters. This bill sets firm deadlines. If agencies miss them, fees can be partially refunded. It requires one designated official per application to improve coordination with builders and provides predictability.

Expanding Supply

We are also advancing several bills that increase housing supply, especially affordable housing.

HB 1859 allows more affordable housing to be built on land owned by religious organizations. Many faith communities want to be part of the solution. This bill reduces barriers and creates incentives, including density bonuses and tax exemptions, to make projects possible. Churches, temples, mosques are community anchors. This bill empowers them to serve in new ways.

HB 2266 addresses STEP housing – shelters, transitional housing, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing. Every community must plan for housing at all income levels. When cities refuse to site shelters or supportive housing, homelessness does not disappear. It moves or it grows. This bill ensures STEP housing is treated like housing, creating clear standards while allowing reasonable operational planning.

Perhaps most excitedly (for myself at least), we are also working on fairness in the housing market itself. SB 6091/HB 2512 prohibits real estate brokers from marketing homes only to exclusive groups of buyers. Housing should not be quietly gated behind insider networks. This bill keeps our market competitive and transparent.

Protecting Renters

Building homes is essential. Protecting the people who live in them is just as important.

SB 6237 requires landlords to disclose flood risk. Many renters do not know when their home sits in a flood-prone area. Many do not realize renters’ insurance does not cover floods. Clear information allows families to prepare and protect themselves and is especially important in the wake of flooding events that hit our state last December.

SB 6200 addresses extreme heat. It allows renters to install portable cooling devices and simply ensures tenants can protect themselves. We know heat waves are no longer rare. They are dangerous, often being one of our state’s highest mass casualty events – especially for seniors, children, and people with medical conditions.

The Two Initiatives Before the Legislature

You may have heard that leadership in both the House and Senate has decided not to hold hearings or consider two initiatives which will go directly to the November ballot for a vote.

Initiative IL26-001: Parental Rights and Schools

This initiative would change a law I voted for that passed last year to protect students and clarify parental rights. HB 1296 was adopted to keep students safe while ensuring parents are involved in their children’s education. The initiative,  IL26-001, would repeal key protections for children, especially in cases involving abuse or neglect investigations. It would remove clear guidance for schools and reintroduce confusing language that we worked hard to fix.

It also creates broader definitions of “school records” that could put LGBTQ+ students at risk of being outed in unsafe environments. That creates a chilling effect. Students who fear exposure may avoid counselors or trusted adults at school. Schools must be places where every child can focus on learning. This initiative risks undermining that safety.

Initiative IL26-638: K–12 Athletics Participation

This initiative would require girls to verify their “biological sex” through invasive means, potentially including genital exams, blood tests, or genetic testing just to play sports. There is no similar requirement for boys’ sports. Current sports physicals do not require these tests, and medical organizations agree they are unnecessary.

This proposal targets an extraordinarily small number of transgender athletes estimated to be fewer than a dozen statewide but would subject every girl in Washington to new scrutiny. We have seen nationally how such policies are enforced disproportionately against girls of color. Athletes like Imane Khelif, Caster Semenya, and Brittney Griner have faced invasive questioning and discrimination.

Every student deserves the chance to participate in publicly funded activities without humiliation or harassment. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has successfully overseen inclusive participation for over a decade. We can protect fairness without harming children.

Staying Engaged

This session has been about more than bills. It has been about values. Do we believe housing is a human right? Do we believe every child deserves safety at school? Do we believe government should work clearly and efficiently?

I believe we do. Your engagement at our town halls, emails, testimony, and conversations shape this work. Democracy is not something that happens to us. It is something we build together.

Thank you for staying engaged. Thank you for caring about your neighbors. Thank you for believing that Washington can be a place where everyone has a fair shot at a safe home and a bright future.