|
The time is now to restore
and
protect the dream of home ownership
By
Rep. Mike
Armstrong
The ability to purchase
and own a home is a long-standing part of the “Great American Dream.”
Young families scrimp and save to place a down payment on what they hope
will be a long-term investment in their future – a home where they can
raise their children and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Unfortunately, that dream
is quickly being stolen away by government – replaced with a nightmare
of taxes, fees and regulations that are putting home ownership out of
the reach of many people and forcing existing home owners who cannot
afford their property taxes to sell.
In many areas throughout
our state, including North Central Washington, the availability of
affordable homes has reached crisis levels. Even “fixer-upper” homes are
becoming too expensive for the average first-time home buyer. And then
if you can afford to purchase a home, skyrocketing property taxes make
it difficult at best to keep it.
As more Seattle-area
people build luxurious summer homes on our side of the mountains, it
becomes impossible for our local long-time residents to stay afloat
financially after they see the tax reassessment bill. I heard many of
these accounts from local citizens last fall when I held a property tax
town hall meeting in Manson.
And now as the 2007
legislative session is under way, we are hearing from Realtors, both
locally and statewide, about the scarcity of affordable housing in
Washington. My grandfather, Cloise Armstrong, served as a Realtor for
many years in Wenatchee, so I have a deep appreciation for this group.
Washington is at a cross
road. We either need to act to rein in government’s excessive
regulations and taxes that drive up the costs of housing – or we will
create a generation of renters that can kiss their Great American Dream
goodbye.
We cannot allow government
to steal the Dream. We must protect home ownership in Washington. That
is why I am working with my House Republican colleagues on a package of
legislation aimed at making homes affordable in our state for
middle-class buyers. The four bills, called “Four for Affordability”
would include:
-
Eliminating impact
fees in areas where housing is not affordable for first-time buyers;
-
Allowing single-family
residential development outside urban growth areas in localities
where housing is not affordable for first-time buyers;
-
Eliminating the state
sales tax on construction labor and services in counties where
housing is not affordable for first-time buyers; and
-
Providing a tax
exemption for property that has declined in value due to shoreline
or growth management.
Local governments have
also had difficulties keeping up with infrastructure needs, such as
water and sewer, because the Legislature in hard economic times
continues to take money from the Public Works Trust Fund. That’s the
fund that provides low- or no-interest loans to cities and counties.
Unfortunately, there’s only a finite amount of money available each year
in that fund. The Legislature needs to make the account whole again and
stop raiding this fund so that local governments can afford to build
infrastructure needed to support new housing.
We also need to put the
brakes on skyrocketing property taxes. The first place to begin is by
reinstating Washington’s 1 percent property tax limit. The limit was
approved by voters in 2001, but was struck down last summer by a Seattle
judge on a technicality. I’m supporting a bill in the Legislature that
would restore that limit and slow the growth of property tax increases.
Finally, we also need to
make sure that senior citizens and disabled persons get the property tax
breaks they deserve. If you have an combined household income of $35,000
or less, check with the county assessor’s office to see if you qualify
for property tax exemptions. I am proud to join with Rep. John Ahern,
R-Spokane, to sponsor legislation (House
Bill 1629) that would increase the income threshold to $40,000 or
less so that more people can qualify for these exemptions.
There’s no excuse for
allowing government run-amok policies and taxes to force people from
their homes or prevent them from ever owning one. Let’s stop this
nightmare now before its too late and work during this legislative
session to restore the Great American Dream.
# # #
Editor’s note:
Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, is serving his fourth term as state
representative for the 12th Legislative District.
# # #
|