Staying engaged
I've been launching my campaign for State Senate in District 16, and I'm still actively engaged in Idaho's legislative session on bills related to housing.
Rental fees remain a hot topic in the Legislature. I started the conversation around fees during my first term when I nearly passed a bill to require all rental fees be reasonable.
The Legislature is now considering HB442, which would prevent any locality from ever limiting any type of rental-related fee. As more out-of-state property managers operate in Idaho, abusive rental fees have become common practice. Taking tools away from our municipalities during a housing crisis is the wrong move. Check out my op-ed about HB442's pitfalls and email Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee members — tell them to vote "no."
When I was Senator for District 17, I gathered stakeholders to discuss a potential state-wide limitation on application fees. This session we saw HB730 (originally HB617), a bill to require landlords clearly advertise all vacancies and only charge one application fee at a time. I testified in favor of this bill, but unfortunately, it died in the House just moments ago. Renters need real protections and I'm eager to get back in the Senate to finish what I started.
I worked to educate legislators about our state's trust fund and the challenges to developing affordable housing during my first term. I am still closely following the Governor's $50 million proposed budget for workforce housing, which affordable housing developers could access in the years to come. I'm eager to see through the passage of this budget.
Although it looks like funding won't go into the state's trust fund, it will still create a fund for much-needed bridge funding. As I noted in this op-ed, this type of funding can be used to enable and empower businesses and local governments across Idaho. The fund would help create tailored housing developments, boosting supply and lowering costs for Idaho communities. This bill just passed through the House and will head to the Senate next!
Even as busy as I've been on the campaign trail, I've found it meaningful to stay engaged in the Legislative process to advocate for sensible policies that will keep Idaho an incredible place to live. I hope you'll find ways to get involved as well!
