Tacoma voters are being asked to expand local renter protections through Initiative Measure 1, also known as Safe Homes for All. The measure would make the city responsible for pursuing landlords who break the rules and imposing fines, rather than leaving enforcement largely to tenants through the courts. The proposal follows a 2023 voter-approved tenant-rights measure. Organizers say the new initiative addresses a gap in enforcement: tenants may have legal protections but struggle to take landlords to court because litigation can be costly and time-consuming. “Litigation is a lengthy process. Landlords have a lot of resources, and tenants just don’t have the time, the energy or the money,” housing activist Kiss’Shonna Curtis told KNKX. The city’s enforcement work would be funded through a new fee tied to a rental registry. The initiative would also require landlords to bargain with renters who form tenant unions. Tacoma for All collected nearly 9,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot, amid a wave of tenant-union organizing in the city earlier this year. Opponents argue the proposal could make housing less affordable. Sean Flynn of the Rental Housing Association of Washington said added requirements could lead landlords to sell to larger corporations and drive up rents. “If you truly want more housing that’s affordable to more people, this does not get you there. It leads in the opposite direction,” he said. Tacoma’s 2023 tenant-rights measure included relocation assistance for some rent increases, new notice requirements for rent hikes and limits on renter fees. It passed by fewer than 400 votes, underscoring how closely divided the city was on tenant protections.