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homes4wa.bsky.social
A work group for advocates, policy makers, and neighbors across Washington State promoting policy solutions for more affordable, abundant homes in all our communities. Join us! homes4wa.org
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Today WA's TOD bill moved out of its second fiscal committee, next stop, the House floor! If fully passed, this bill will establish a best-in-nation model for funded inclusionary zoning to create mixed-income housing near transit. app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/...

Transit-oriented development (TOD) unlocks the housing we need, exactly where we need it: Where people are easily served by our transit systems—and near jobs, shops, parks, and restaurants. The #WALeg TOD bill (HB 1491) has a committee hearing tomorrow morning. Sign in pro before 8a 2/27:

WA's mobile dwellings bill, HB 1443, just passed out of the Approps Committee!

ACTION ALERT: #WALeg Mobile Dwelling Unit (MDU) bill, HB 1443, is scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9a on Saturday, February 22. You know the drill — sign up to testify or show your support!

Yesterday the Washington State Senate lifted up another underappreciated issue in the housing reform space: elevator standards. Jesse Salomon's SB 5156 passed by an overwhelming 42-6 vote and is off to the House. www.theurbanist.org/2025/02/20/w...

Though it was amended to exclude cities with less than 20,000 residents, Senate Bill 5184 still represents one of the most robust statewide parking reform packages to move forward in any state. It now must pass the House. Story: www.theurbanist.org/2025/02/20/w...

This brilliant obituary from the @nytimes.com honors Donald Shoup’s legacy. With well-chosen quotes, it captures his unwavering quest to make parking policy engaging, relatable, and even fun. A fitting tribute to a true visionary. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/b...

Washington's Parking Reform and Modernization Act, capping parking mandates at 0.5 per unit in and exempting uses including senior & affordable housing and alcohol-related businesses from all mandates in cities over 20,000, just passed the state Senate 40-8. www.theurbanist.org/2025/02/06/p...

And... WA's awesome parking reform bill just passed the Senate, 40 - 8, wow!!!!!!!!!!

And... WA's elevator bill just passed the Senate, 42-6!

Requiring owner consent would prevent the misuse of historic landmarking. "Overall, it’s a commonsense solution aligned with state norms that would help the state address its massive housing shortage.” @danbertolet.bsky.social

Likely today ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Good time to get on the ☎️

How can we tackle housing affordability in rural areas? Check out our Rural Housing Roundtable to hear from Futurewise experts on rural bills we're watching as part of our #waleg Growing Together campaign! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu1N...

There is so much good within our grasp!

About 30 #WAleg bills this session address the state's housing shortage. Here's our list of solutions to unlock more homes, in all shapes and sizes — and to cut home costs and rents.

TOMORROW, 2/12 at 10:30 a.m.: SB 5604, which promotes transit-oriented development – the strategy of allowing more homes near transit hubs – has a hearing in the Senate Housing Committee. #WALeg

Anyone can support a bill in the WA Legislature! Here’s how to share your stance 👇

Parking is PRICEY. Did you know that a single parking space is anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 to build? Those costs get rolled into the cost of every project and product they’re attached to, including the price or rent of your home (even if you don’t even have a car).

SB 5613 to require clear and objective development standards has a hearing tomorrow 2/7 at 10:30am. If you're enough of a policy wonk to recognize why this matters, please support the bill! Sign up to testify over Zoom: app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifie... Sign in PRO: app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifie...

Parking reform has significant momentum this session at the Washington legislature. www.theurbanist.org/2025/02/06/p...

SB 5613 is a bill with a few small words that could have a big effect on boosting housing. The words: "clear and objective" It requires residential development standards to be clear and objective, to prevent sloppy standards from enabling frivolous legal challenges. app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/...

Wow. In yesterday's Senate Local Gov Committee hearing for SB 5554, which would require owner consent for historic landmark designation, former Seattle Public School board director Vivan Song tells Sen. Bateman that Magnolia Elementary had to be renovated AROUND chalkboards. #WAleg

Looks like the hearing is still on for 2/4 at 10:30a. HB 1299 would cap how many parking spots local govs can require for new homes and commercial buildings, and give full flexibility to building types that need it the most. Sign your support or testify: app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/... #Waleg

The #WAleg website has been down most of the afternoon. No official word yet, but the outage could impact this week's hearing schedule. WA's parking reform bill HB 1299 is on deck for tomorrow morning — stay tuned for updates!

SB 5554 has a public hearing today at 1:30pm! Sign your support or testify: app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/...

Big bills are set for executive action (including amendments and a possible vote) in the Senate Housing Committee of #waleg on February 5th: #SB5148: holding cities accountable to housing goals #SB5184: reducing costly parking mandates Send a quick note to your legislators!

Parking reform unlocks great neighborhoods while cutting red tape, home costs, and sprawl. @Sightline www.sightline.org/2025/01/31/t...

Historic Seattle's January newsletter tells how they've just nominated for landmark status a structurally obsolete apartment building owned by YWCA, which will stall YWCA's plans to redevelop it into 83 new homes. This is why the state needs to pass the landmarking reform bill HB 1443 / SB 5332.

If only there was a simple statewide solution, with no cost to taxpayers...

Right now, historic landmark designation doesn’t require the actual owner of the property to consent — costing WA thousands of homes over the years. Two bills would fix that. SB 5554 has a hearing 2/3 at 1:30p: app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/... HB 1576 on 2/5 at 8a: app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/...

@danbertolet.bsky.social testified Monday for HB 1443, a bill that would legalize mobile dwelling units (MDUs). WA has a pressing need for more housing — especially lower-income homes that can be created quickly. #WALeg www.sightline.org/2025/01/17/t...

In 2017, I compiled examples of landmarking abuse that thwarted the construction of housing. One key recommendation I had was to require owner consent. The Mama's Kitchen site that I flagged as a questionable designation finally got demolished this month. 63 apartment homes delayed for 10 years.

"Parking mandates vary significantly across Washington with no scientific backing for how they are set, @citizen-cate.bsky.social told the Senate Housing Committee. 'I regret to say that there’s no magic parking ratio that will meet the needs of every family or every restaurant.'”

The Senate's MDU bill, SB 5332, will be heard in committee this morning! #WALeg

WA's lot split bill, HB 1096, just passed out of the House Housing committee, 16-1. app.leg.wa.gov/committeesch...

TODAY, 1/27: HB 1443 has a hearing in the House Housing Committee at 1:30pm. From Rep. Gregerson, this bill would make Mobile Dwelling Units (MDUs) safer and healthier for our neighbors who want this low-cost, unsubsidized housing option.

@dpherriges.bsky.social from @parkingreform.org today in support of WA's Parking Bill, SB 5184: "It's a very natural trap to be sensitive to the hypothetical harms of a change in public policy more so than to the devil you know: which is the actual, ongoing harms of current existing policy."

Excellent WA bill HB 1183 with several tasty ingredients just passed out of House Local Gov't. Includes elevator code reform, passive house insulation allowances, bans on facade modulation and upper level setbacks for certain building types, and more. lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/202...

The Housing Accountability Act is getting its first public hearing of 2025 right now in the state Senate's housing committee. Sponsor Sen. Jess Bateman is noting the systemic gaps in accountability when it comes to local Comprehensive Plans. www.theurbanist.org/2024/01/04/h...

TOMORROW, 1/24: WA's #parkingreform bill is scheduled for public hearing at 10:30am. SB 5184 would free homebuilders and businesses from the arbitrary, excessive mandates that drive up costs or kill projects. #WALeg

Watch the video! @citizen-cate.bsky.social 'splains why #parkingmandates matter! The ripple effect harms are far reaching - high rent, wasted space, lost trees. The benefits of flexible parking (vs forced overparking) are manifold! Better places to live! Less pavement! Lower housing costs. ⬇️