Report suggests fixes for WA housing crisis

OLYMPIA — Alleviating the shortage of affordable housing in Washington will require a combination of more money for affordable housing, reducing the cost and complexity of the permitting and land use process, and looking for ways to expand the acceptable residential options. Those were among the conclusions from the “Housing Advisory Plan” issued by the Washington Department of Commerce in May.

The Housing Advisory Plan was issued by the Washington State Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

The report suggested additional funding so that jurisdictions can keep up with their comprehensive land use plans, as well as money to help municipalities review their permitting process. The Washington Legislature has allocated additional money to local governments to help with land use planning when it comes to talking to tribes and other groups, but more technical assistance is needed, the report said.

State officials also should help local governments address infrastructure needs that are holding back housing construction.

Local jurisdictions should be encouraged to pay for any staff or rules changes to speed up the permitting process, it said. 

State officials should work to find examples of inclusionary zoning and make those available to local governments.

Cities are required to limit development regulations related to the citing of emergency housing, as well as residences for people who are at risk of homelessness, or who have been homeless. That requirement should be extended, the report said.

It’s called “permanently supported housing,” and state officials should work to provide adequate and permanent funding for it. State officials should also work on ways to provide services, property management is one example, to help those projects keep going. 

State officials also should establish zoning requirements for housing and commercial use near high-capacity transit, and should provide funding for planning to address affordable housing around accessible mass transit. 

Cities and counties should be encouraged to look at financial incentives for multifamily and smaller single-family housing. Incentives also are urged for “infill” housing, which involves developing unused or underutilized land within areas that are already developed. The report also recommends financial incentives for materials and labor for affordable housing.

There are things state officials can do to make it easier for localities to access the “multifamily housing tax exemption” program, the report said. 

State officials should make permitting easier for prefabricated and modular housing, and streamline it for manufactured homes.

The state should provide permanent funding for the Housing Trust Fund, which provides money for affordable housing projects. State officials should review public funding programs to make sure their requirements don’t conflict with each other.

Local and state officials should be encouraged to assess what the report called innovative housing, such as cottage communities. Those are single-family homes, 800 to 1,200 feet, organized around a common space. The report urged localities to explore land trusts, where the land is publicly owned but the residences on it are sold to individual buyers. The state should look at funding for people who are employed but need help paying housing costs.

Land owned by government agencies but not being used should be evaluated to see if it could be developed for affordable housing, the report said. The state should look for ways to make it easier to repurpose existing buildings for housing. There should also be incentives for projects to include large families. 

Technical assistance should be provided to people who want to rent an accessory dwelling unit on their property, or rent space in a house, the report said. 

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columibabasinherald.com.