Bills Supporting Housing and State Economy
January 25, 2021
While the onslaught of questionable policy bills continues, there are some bright spots that jumpstart housing recovery while Washington recovers from COVID-19 economic slowdowns. Residential construction can lead the way out of the economic crisis for Washington families and for Washington’s state and local budgets – residential construction accounts for 5.5% of the state’s sales tax revenue.
This week several bills would help spur housing, which will help speed economic recovery for the whole state.
Bills supporting housing and state economy
On Tuesday at 8 AM in the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee SB 5235 – Increasing housing unit inventory by removing arbitrary limits on housing options, sponsored by Sen Liias (D-Mukilteo) addresses local governments’ attempts to stop, or make very difficult to build, accessory dwelling units. This is a good bill that supports the construction of ADUs.
That same day, the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee will also hear a BIAW priority bill sponsored by Sen Gildon (R-Puyallup), SB 5243 – Creating efficiency in housing by streamlining approval of engineered plans. One thing BIAW members universally grumble about is the permit process. This streamlines that process by requiring permit plans to accept a licensed engineer or architect’s stamp as proof of compliance. When an applicant has hired a qualified professional for plans – the jurisdiction should not be nickel-and-diming permits.
This week the Legislature will also hear two bills dealing with Limited Areas of More Intense Rural Development (LAMIRD) under the Growth Management Act: one in the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee at 10:30 AM on Wednesday (SB 5275 – Enhancing opportunity in limited areas of more intense rural development, sponsored by Sen Short (R –Addy) and one in the House Local Government Committee at 8 AM on Friday (HB 1233 – Concerning limited areas of more intensive rural development, sponsored by Rep Barkis (R-Lacey). Both of these bills would allow some flexibility for things like housing in LAMIRDs across the state.
Sign in to SUPPORT SB 5275 here!
Two more similar bills are scheduled in the House and Senate in the same committees. These bills would raise the standing requirement for Growth Board appeals to a more typical standard in normal court proceedings. Currently the standing standard in GMA is only having commented during the planning period – whether harm is demonstrated or not. This make it incredibly easy to get standing for appeals and causes more quasi-judicial appeals than is necessary.
- HB 1144 – Concerning standing before the growth management hearings board, sponsored by Rep Hoff (R – Vancouver) up at 10 AM on Wednesday in House Local Government; and
- SB 5314 – Concerning standing and science under the growth management act, by Sen Short (R-Addy) at 10:30 AM on Wednesday in the Senate Housing & Local Government Committee.