Tacoma Affordable Housing Providers Need Exemption to Landlord Fairness Code

Mounting delinquent rent and increased costs jeopardize our ability to house those most in need

TACOMA, WA – October 31, 2025 — A coalition of affordable housing providers and advocacy groups led by Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and the Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium (TPCAHC) is requesting that the Tacoma City Council take immediate action to exempt affordable housing providers from the eviction moratoriums mandated by the Landlord Fairness Code.

As the largest affordable housing providers in Tacoma, we oversee thousands of affordable housing units for low-income households, many of whom earn less than 30 percent of Tacoma’s area median income, qualifying them as extremely low-income. We serve this population and do this work because we believe housing is a human right. And we share the goal of Tacoma’s Landlord Fairness Code: to build a future in which everyone has an affordable, safe, and nurturing home. However, after two years of operating under the Landlord Fairness Code, we continue to experience negative, unintended consequences that impede our ability to do our work and serve our community. 

Today, due to mounting delinquent rent, our ability to secure investments that would pay to build more affordable units in Tacoma and improve our current stock of affordable housing is in jeopardy. During the eviction moratorium, tenants facing eviction may temporarily remain in their unit during prolonged eviction proceedings. Once evicted, they are left with staggering debts that will significantly hinder their ability to secure housing post-eviction.

While tens of thousands of families and individuals languish on our waitlists for years, the constraints of the eviction moratoriums, decline in rent collection and related increase in operating expenses result in even longer wait times and fewer households being served.

If we are forced to continue operating under the Landlord Fairness Code as it currently stands, it will fundamentally alter our ability to build, maintain, and provide affordable housing to those who need it most. To continue providing the high-quality, stable, and sustainable housing that thousands of Tacoma residents depend on, we urgently request that the City take steps to exempt affordable housing providers from the burdensome stipulations of the Landlord Fairness Code.

Signed,

Tacoma Housing Authority

Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium

Housing Pierce County (formerly Pierce County Housing Authority)

Low Income Housing Institute

Mercy Housing Northwest

Asia Pacific Cultural Center

Asian Pacific Islander Coalition – Pierce County

Catholic Community Services

YWCA Pierce County

Korean Women’s Association

Living Access Support Alliance

Metropolitan Development Council

Spinnaker Property Management

Southport Financial Services

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