Podcast | The burden of rent in Washington’s smaller cities
Places like Walla Walla, Yakima and Spokane are not the affordable alternatives they once were, but solutions could be coming.
Trish Divine Wilder puts up flyers in the Milton-Freewater library for an event to talk to community members about how they can afford a home. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
It’s no secret that the cost of living in the Seattle area is very high. Lesser known is the impact that rising housing costs have had on people throughout the state of Washington.
While the overall numbers are highest in Seattle, rent increases have created an even greater burden for people living in the state’s smaller towns and cities.
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The state has taken notice, with both the governor and some lawmakers pressing for legislative solutions that would either increase the housing stock or put limits on landlords' abilities to raise rents.
For this episode of the Crosscut Reports podcast, host Sara Bernard speaks with Crosscut reporter Mai Hoang about what life is like for those who are rent-burdened in these smaller cities, and what solutions are in the works.
Read our full report on the rise in rents in eastern Washington here.
