SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5224

As Passed Senate, February 26, 2003

Title: An act relating to the membership of the affordable housing advisory board.

Brief Description: Adding a rental housing owner to the affordable housing advisory board.

Sponsors: Senators Benton, Prentice, Winsley, Zarelli, Johnson, T. Sheldon, Kohl-Welles, Hale, Roach and Esser.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Financial Services, Insurance & Housing: 2/6/03 [DP].

Passed Senate: 2/26/03, 48-1.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES, INSURANCE & HOUSING

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Benton, Chair; Winsley, Vice Chair; Keiser, Prentice, Reardon, Roach and Zarelli.

Staff: Alison Mendiola-Hamilton (786-7576)

Background: Under the Washington Housing Policy Act, the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (CTED) has created an Affordable Housing Advisory Board, composed of 21 members, 18 of whom are appointed by the Governor.

The board serves as CTED's principal advisory board on housing and housing-related issues.

Summary of Bill: The Affordable Housing Board is expanded by adding one representative of for-profit rental housing owners. This representative is Governor-appointed.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There should be a rental owner's voice on the board. One has been attending regularly but is not able to vote, and this board is supposed to represent the voice of affordable housing and should logically include an owner of for-profit rental housing. Also, to level the playing field, there should be a mobile home/manufactured community representative.

Testimony Against: The board is meant to represent all interests and currently one-third are from the "landlord" perspective. Maybe they should look within themselves and reconfigure internally.

Testified: Ray Munson, MHCA (concerns); PRO: Bob Mitchell, WA Assn. of Realtors; Patty Van Den Broek, RHA; Doug Neyhart, RHA; CON: Nick Federici, WA Low-Income Housing Congress; Kim Herman, WSHFC.