We believe:

• Housing is a basic necessity and a human right. 
• Rent stabilization is an essential tool in ensuring that Washingtonians have predictable and affordable housing.
• Placing appropriate equitable property taxes on secondary homes, to be distributed as affordable housing subsidies.
• It is the proper role of the government to provide stable housing to people experiencing housing insecurity and those who are under-housed, to expand the stock of supportive, low income, accessible, and affordable housing, and to use all tools available to control the astronomic explosion of the cost of housing;
• New housing developments should be required to incorporate energy saving technologies to reduce energy consumption and increase affordability.
• In requiring developers to pay impact fees to mitigate increased capital needs for schools, safe pedestrian infrastructure, roads, parks, sewers, water, fire safety, and other effects of development;
•  Preempting and excluding rent control or stabilization at the local level inhibits cities and counties from handling the housing affordability crisis in ways that best fit their communities.
•  In respecting the rights of all adults, including seniors and persons with disabilities, to direct their own lives in housing, education, medical, financial, and all other life choices, as appropriate;
• Ban the accumulation and purchase of housing and residential properties by Private Equity, also mandating the sale of any currently held properties by Private Equity Organizations/Companies.
• The severe shortage of permanently affordable rental housing in our state constitutes a public emergency;
• All jurisdictions should be encouraged to develop public properties to create long term, sustainably-built, union-constructed, low-income housing;

• The available supply of housing has not kept up with demand and the Washington State Legislature should increase funding for assistance and construction of affordable and accessible low-income housing.
• In eliminating discriminatory land use policies, reducing arbitrary regulatory barriers to housing construction, and amplifying best practices to increase housing supply in communities.
• In trade agreements that protect American manufacturing jobs and do enforce, international human, economic, and environmental rights;
• Using deficit fear-mongering to drive budgetary decisions is wrong, divisive and destructive;
• Reducing SNAP benefits and forcing families into a one-size-fits-all option that removes consumer choice is harmful and perpetuates food insecurity;
• SNAP benefits should be adjusted for cost of living.
• Importing or exporting commodities below their true production and transportation costs, i.e. dumping, can destroy local industries and should not be indiscriminately practiced .
• Predatory home loan practices such as discounting foreclosures, deceptive, coercive or exploitative loan terms, as well as balloon loans, perpetuate harm, are discriminatory, and should be banned;
• Policies and practices that dehumanize and criminalize neighbors experiencing homelessness, including sweeps, are inhumane and should be illegal;
• Low-income/shelter/transitional/permanent supportive housing should exist in all areas where other residential housing exists; not be concentrated by environmental racism and classism.
• Developers should be required to pay impact fees to mitigate increased capital needs for schools, safe pedestrian infrastructure, roads, parks, sewers, water, fire safety, and other effects of development;
• Renters’ tax credit;
• Employers are required to pay federal holidays and a minimum of 30 days of leave per year.
• Our regressive tax system should be more equitable and balanced
• The criminalizing and forcible removal of people experiencing homelessness from public lands when they do not have access to stable, affordable, and accessible housing appropriate to their circumstances is immoral, inhumane, and unacceptable. Dehumanizing terms, such as “sweeps”, “clean-ups”, or “cleans”, referring to forced removal, are harmful and deny the humanity of those impacted.;
• Promulgating laws and regulations that prevent foreign entities from purchasing existing housing stocks and tracks of land for profit driven development that reduces housing availability to Americans, drives sprawl growth, destroys open space, and raises property taxes on Washington residents.
• The Washington State Legislature should support all efforts to increase funding for the construction of new affordable housing, and access to existing affordable low-income housing.
• All levels of government should use creative solutions and progressive revenue sources to ensure all people have permanent, sanitary, stable, secure, safe, and livable housing and to assist homeowners at risk of foreclosure;
• In funding services within shelters and permanent supportive housing to support individuals to achieve lifelong stability, and services for residents experiencing homelessness who need help to prepare for a stable lifestyle in-line with Housing First principles;
• The strict regulation at the federal, state, and local levels of Single Family Residential (SFR) real estate investors to stop their activities from driving up the prices of and access to housing. Single Family Residential (SFR) real estate investors, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs), private equity groups, hedge funds, short term housing rentals, and foreign investors in single family homes, townhouses, and condos contribute to the housing crisis in Washington State and the United States through higher rents, home prices and fewer available units;
• In including underrepresented communities of color and marginalized community members in meaningful dialogue and involvement around developmental growth and gentrification.
• Placing appropriate equitable property taxes on secondary homes, to be distributed as affordable housing subsidies.
• In altering or eliminating restrictive “single family” zoning laws that contribute to food deserts, urban sprawl, and the inflated cost of housing
• In promoting the mixed use developments that encourage healthy and walkable communities

Economic Justice

• Tax policy should be used to prevent and break up concentrations of extreme wealth, through higher marginal rates, restrictions on loopholes and deductions, and inheritance taxes.
• Extreme wealth and poverty both harm our society’s health; current levels of income inequality are toxic to our democracy. 
• The gender and racial pay gap should be closed.
• In facilitating equality of opportunity. This would include publicly funded Universal Family Care, steady funding for all public schools, legislation to end the digital divide and protecting public assets. 
• In bringing banking systems closer to the people. A state bank of WA system should be considered to facilitate infrastructure projects; credit unions should be invested in rather than large banks; banking services should be available to all, potentially through restored USPS services.
• Funding the expansion of broadband internet to all Americans, especially in rural areas, is critical to those areas’ success;
• Support programs which get the endpoint handhelds and tablets into the hands of low income persons.
• Every person in the US should receive enough income to support life, therefore, we believe in a guaranteed basic income;

Tax Fairness

• We advocate for a tax system that is fair and equitable, facilitating inter-generational wealth transfer from lower and middle income taxpayers; empowering younger generations to own homes, provide for their children, and save for retirement.
• A progressive wealth tax is critical for a fair contribution of tax dollars that support all our communities.  
• Protecting our capital gains tax;
• In reducing financial speculation through tax policy
• Ensuring a strong, progressive taxation system in Washington through reducing the sales taxes that burden the most vulnerable and lowest income earners;
• Washington should improve financing for local governments by establishing a state bank.
• Improving access to financial services for citizens who lack bank accounts would extend equality to underserved communities.