We are losing the American dream to own and keep our own home. And fewer of us can have the expectation to have that home be a place to live out our days.
In 1983 when the state legislature passed the Senior Property Tax Exemption/Deferral law it was because of the conviction that it is better to allow people who have struggled to have the American dream of their own home, and to not be taxed out of that home when they are limited by age or disability to a fixed income.
To reduce the number of seniors losing their homes due to increasing property taxes, House Bill 1155, sponsored by Liz Pike, fixes the law to meet the original legislative intent: “though the income of most senior citizens does not keep pace with inflation it is the legislature’s intent that inflationary increases in incomes will not result in program disqualification.” Intent – 1983 RCW 84.36.381.
House Bill 1155 would fix the disqualification creep by indexing the qualifying income level to the cost of living.
That is to say the $35,000 household income threshold would be pegged to the cost of living.
A dollar of income in 1983 would be comparable to $2.38 today. Only 42 percent of those the legislation intended to help in 1983 would qualify today.
Each year the percent of retirees that can qualify for the tax break decreases. More and more seniors are finding that they are facing not having the comfort of their own home, their own neighborhood support network, the relationships they have built over the years because they are forced to sell by increased property taxes.
The argument is that seniors should welcome the sale and all that money. But how long will the equity in an old house last when the cost of Senior Living Establishments is so high. The prospect of being homeless and on the street when the money runs out is not what I call caring for our seniors.
It is important that we continue and complete the good work done by the legislature and keep House Bill 1155 alive by contacting our Southwest Washington delegation.
Some facts to consider: (courtesy of our regional economist)
• In 1990 the median owner occupied house cost roughly twice what the median Clark County household income was.
• In 2013 the median owner occupied Clark County home cost 3.9 times the median Clark County household income.
Things are not getting better for seniors who want to stay in their homes.
Sincerely,
Darren Wertz
Ridgefield city councilor
