Seniors in our community are struggling to keep up with excessive rent increases. That’s why I am glad to see that two of our 24th District legislators, Sen. Mike Chapman and Rep. Steve Tharinger, are co-sponsors of legislation to stabilize rents.

This legislation is vitally important.

I’m a resident of Sequim, living in a manufactured home community with approximately 210 homes for seniors 55 and older. We all own our homes, but we pay rent on the land underneath our homes.

Most of us live on fixed incomes, and as rents increase every year, many of us cannot or will not be able to afford to live in our homes.

The stress of managing a tight budget without knowing how much our rent will increase in the future is enormous.

Maybe we can afford an increase this year, but will we be able to stay in our homes through our golden years, when we’re most vulnerable? That stress can kill.

Will we be able to live in our homes in a couple of years, or will we be joining the fastest-growing homeless population: single, elderly women?

We’ve worked hard all our lives, contributing to society and helping others. We need lawmakers to pass rent stabilization, House Bill 1217/Senate Bill 5222, this year.

We can’t afford to wait.

Chris Walker

Sequim