WA House passes transit-oriented housing bill

OLYMPIA — House Bill 2160, promoting transit-oriented housing developments, passed with a floor vote of 56 to 40 during a Feb. 13 floor debate. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Julia Reed, D-Seattle, has moved on to the Senate for further consideration. The bill requires cities in fully planning counties, such as Grant County, to conform to certain requirements and limitations for housing near transit systems. Reed spoke about the bill during the Jan. 9 hearing. “The bill before you addresses that urgent need for housing in our state, the state with the fewest number of housing units per household than any other, by making it possible to build new, denser housing around our most used and most heavily invested in transit modes, rail, light rail and bus rapid transit lines,” she said.