A majority of voters in Washington favor legislation that would raise revenue to support housing projects across the Evergreen State, despite strident opposition from the Realtors and other powerful business interests, according to our 2024 winter survey of Washington State voters, which fielded last month.
The Affordable Homes Act (HB 2276 / SB 6191) is prime sponsored by Representative April Berg (D‑44th District: Snohomish County) and Senator Noel Frame (D‑36th District: Seattle). It was heard earlier this session but has not yet received a floor vote in either chamber. The House iteration of the bill is currently in the Rules Committee. The 2024 legislative session concludes on Thursday, so lawmakers would have to move quickly to get it to Governor Inslee’s desk.
But that would be worth doing, especially given their refusal to pass a bevy of other bills that would have helped Washingtonians, particularly rent stabilization.
54% of respondents surveyed by our pollster said they strongly or somewhat supported the Affordable Homes Act, while 32% were opposed. 14% said they were not sure. Respondents were provided with not only a description of what the bill does, but also arguments for and against it, including the Realtors’ strongest arguments in opposition, which they have been trotting out at every opportunity. However, a majority of likely 2024 Washington State voters found the arguments in favor of the legislation more persuasive than the Realtors’ arguments against.
Take a look:
QUESTION: Legislators are debating a bill that would raise and dedicate more money to affordable housing by restructuring the real estate excise tax. The bill would exempt the first $750,000 of a property sale, while adding a modest 1% tax on high value property sales over $3.025 million. Opponents like the Realtors say that tax increases on real estate, especially during a time of low housing supply and high interest rates, would create more market uncertainty. They also say the tax increases would apply to vacant land intended for development of affordable multifamily and single-family housing. Proponents counter that the bill would cut taxes for 98% of taxpayers who would pay the real estate excise tax when they sell their property, while raising approximately $396 million through 2029 for affordable housing projects that are desperately needed in Washington. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose restructuring the real estate excise tax to raise and dedicate more money to affordable housing, while cutting taxes for 98% of taxpayers?
ANSWERS:
- Support: 54%
- Strongly support: 27%
- Somewhat support: 27%
- Oppose: 32%
- Somewhat oppose: 9%
- Strongly oppose: 23%
- Not sure: 14%
Our survey of 789 likely 2024 Washington State voters was in the field from Tuesday, February 13th through Wednesday, February 14th, 2024.
The poll utilizes a blended methodology, with automated phone calls to landlines (42%) and online answers from respondents recruited by text (58%).
It was conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) for the Northwest Progressive Institute, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5% at the 95% confidence interval.
According to House nonpartisan staff, HB 2276 would:
Here’s a fact sheet from Representative Berg:
Affordable Homes Act PrimerThe Realtors dislike the Affordable Homes Act so much that they’re running TV spots opposing the bill — a lot of them. The ads, which can be seen in between network programming on local TV stations, appear to have been created by out of state consultants. They make it sound as though the bill will devastate access to housing, even though the legislation would generate funding for the Home Security Fund, the Apple Health & Homes Account, developmental disabilities housing and services, and the Housing Trust Fund, which includes supports to stabilize low-income housing and provide farmworker housing.
Many individual realtors disagree with the Realtor line. In January, two agreed to go on the record in support of the legislation at the time that Berg unveiled it.
“This bill is good for my clients. It will mean that many properties sold in Spokane County – including the vast majority, if not all of the ones that my clients will sell – will receive a REET reduction. Reducing REETs for most property sellers while creating a new, dedicated way to pay for the affordable housing that my community needs is a win-win,” said Latrice Williams, a realtor from Spokane.
“We have an affordable housing crisis throughout our communities. It is negatively impacting small and large businesses, school districts, individuals, and families – it is indisputable. As a real estate agent and caring community member of King and Island Counties, I have a multi-level perspective on this,” said Peter Wolf, a former board member of the Seattle-King County Realtors.
“We need to do something about it. Adding a 1% transfer tax on properties that sell for over $3.025 million is a reasonable and effective way to help increase the supply of the affordable homes that we so desperately need. For the record, the REET is paid by the seller – not the buyer. This will not increase the list price of property for sale. The listing price is dictated by what the market will bear and by what the buyer can afford. Not by taxes and not by what profit the seller wishes to make.”
All good points. It’s a shame that the Washington Association of Realtors and other business interests aligned with them are working so feverishly to stop this legislation when they could be working collaboratively with supporters of the bill to pass it. Shelter is a basic human necessity, and we know from centuries of experience that the for-profit private sector cannot be relied upon to ensure that everyone in our society is taken care of. That’s why we need public resources like Apple Health & Homes, which the Affordable Homes Act would boost funding for.
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