Housing (Senate 2025)

Overview:

During the 2025 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity to interview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest. In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, and the Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on three important policies addressed by the House Education Committee.

1. Addressing Impacts of Redlining (2025) House Page, Dhanyashree Ramanathan, asks Senate Housing Committee Chair, Jessica Bateman (D) 22nd District, and Ranking Member, Keith Goehner(R) 12th District, “…In my research on the Covenant Homeownership Program, I learned that Washington is trying to address the effects of redlining by helping first-time homebuyers from communities that were historically denied housing. Do you think policies like this are effective in addressing the long-term impacts of redlining, and what specific steps can the legislature take, from both a targeted equity perspective and a market-driven approach, to ensure fair and equal homeownership opportunities for everyone?
2. Growth Management Act & Infrastructure (2025) Senate Page, Katelyn Kawamura, asks Senate Housing Committee Chair, Jessica Bateman (D) 22nd District, and Ranking Member, Keith Goehner (R) 12th District, “…In my research, I learned about the Growth Management Act and its limits on urbanization of rural regions. What plans does the Housing Committee have to ensure surrounding infrastructure and facilities are able to compensate for increased population growth in urban areas?
3. Environmental Sustainability & Cost of Housing (2025) Senate Page, Akshara Srinivas, asks Senate Housing Committee Chair, Jessica Bateman (D) 22nd District, and Ranking Member, Keith Goehner(R) 12th District, “…I found that in Washington, we will need about 1 million new homes by 2044. At the same time, there’s pressure to make new housing more energy-efficient and climate-friendly, which can often slow down the building process and make it more costly. How can we meet urgent housing needs while still advancing our goals for renewable energy and environmental sustainability?

Essential Questions:

• What are the challenges regarding housing in Washington State?
• To what extent can the government help right past wrongs?
• How does the government balance the need for regulations with the need for growth?

Senate Housing Committee

The Senate Housing Committee considers issues relating to:

• Homelessness prevention
• Housing affordability and stability
• Mobile home parks
• Landlord tenant issues
• Land use issues primarily related to housing