Ruth Anderson Public Debate

The Seattle Times declared Tacoma’s housing market the hottest in the U.S., in part because Seattleites in search of more affordable homes have started buying up property. Yet Tacoma’s job market is not competitive with Seattle’s, and as a result, many local residents cannot keep up with the rising cost of housing. Given these trends, the 2019 Ruth Anderson Public topic will be: This house believes Tacoma should institute a policy of rent control.

The debate will probe a wide range of issues from multiple angles, such as the efficacy of government intervention into the market versus market-based solutions and balancing the rights of both tenants and property owners. This year’s debate will be moderated by Q13 News Anchor and Host of The Divide, Brandi Kruse, and will feature Representative Andrew Barkis from the 2nd District in Washington’s House of Representatives and Dinah Braccio from Tenants Union of Washington. The debate will take place in Regency Room in the Anderson University Center at 7pm, on October 1st, 2019.