Dear friends and neighbors,

This year’s legislative session gave us another opportunity to address the lack of affordable housing and the persistent homelessness we see in cities across our state. Building on historic investments made last year, the Legislature passed bills to increase the supply of housing, to prevent homelessness, and to remove barriers to housing construction.

 

In November, I celebrated as one of our new housing projects opened its doors. Pride Place (above), a first-of-its-kind project on Capitol Hill spearheaded by Community Roots Housing and GenPride, offers affordable housing to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer seniors while also providing community space for the LGBTQ+ community.

Housing Investments

In this year’s supplemental capital budget, the legislature appropriated an additional $127 million into the Housing Trust Fund, the main source of state assistance for affordable housing projects. This adds to the record $400 million investment made last year. The new money will fund the construction or acquisition of nearly 2,000 more housing units. Legislators also boosted funding for housing for people with developmental disabilities and invested $60 million to ensure that state-funded shelter and rapid rehousing programs can maintain current service levels.

The state’s program to address unsafe encampments continues to make progress. In its first 18 months, the program has resolved more than 30 encampments and brought more than 1,000 people to safer shelter indoors.

Promoting affordable housing

The Legislature passed several other bills to address the state’s housing crisis by reducing barriers and costs. Here are a few highlights:

  • SB 6175 makes it easier to convert vacant commercial buildings into affordable housing.
  • HB 1890 removes bureaucratic hurdles to creating more affordable housing.
  • HB 2003 reduces costs associated with building more affordable housing on public lands.
  • HB 2375 expands a property tax exemption for seniors and disabled people with additional dwelling units on their property.
  • SB 6059 creates additional protections for people in mobile home communities.
  • HB 1998 sets statewide standards to make co-living homes (small apartments with shared kitchens) easier to build.

I look forward to seeing these state investments continue to make housing more affordable and more available for people here in the 43rd District and across our state.

Thanks for taking the time to read my newsletter. I will send more updates on key legislation passed during this year’s legislative session. If you missed my previous updates on gun safety, public education, or environmental protections, they are available on my website. Please reach out with any questions at Jamie.Pedersen@leg.wa.gov.

Best wishes,

Jamie