With A Special Focus On Washington State
There are a lot of legislative bills to watch addressing affordable housing, veterans, and tiny houses. This is the current status as of 2/14/2022.
Wa State- HB 2001-2021 -22- Expanding On The Ability To Build Tiny Houses
Sponsors Representatives McCaslin, Graham, Jacobsen, Chase, and Sutherland
History
IN THE SENATE
Brief Summary
Allows tiny house communities to be part of an affordable housing incentive program under the Growth Management Act and authorizes tiny house communities to be built inside and outside of Urban Growth areas.
SHB 1782 - 2021-22-Creating Additional Middle Housing Near Transit And In Areas Traditionally Dedicated To Single-Family Detached Housing.
Representatives Bateman, Macri, Berry, Fitzgibbon, Ryu, Dolan, Wicks, Johnson, J.,
Sponsors Barkis, Davis, Goodman, Gregerson, Morgan, Peterson, Ramel, Simmons, Slatter,
Bergquist, Valdez, Thai, Duerr, Stonier, Riccelli, Ormsby, Taylor, Harris-Talley, Hackney,
Kloba and Frame
History
Brief Summary
Requires cities planning under the Growth Management Act to authorize
middle housing types or average minimum densities near transit based on
the population of the city.
Requires the Department of Commerce to provide technical assistance to
cities authorizing middle housing types or average minimum densities
and to develop model middle housing ordinance.
SB 5670 - 2021-22 Creating Additional Middle Housing Near Transit And In Areas Traditionally Dedicated To Single-Family Detached Housing
Sponsors Senators Das, Kuderer, Frockt, Liias, Lovelett, Mullet, Nguyen,
Nobles, Pedersen, Saldaña, and Stanford
History
In The Senate
Jan. 28th
Referred To Ways And Means
Brief Summary
Requires any fully planning city with a population of 20,000 or more to
authorize the development of all middle housing types on all lots zoned
for single-family residential use within one-half mile of a major transit
stop and duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes on all other lots zoned for
single-family residential use.
Requires any fully planning city with a population of 10,000 or more to
authorize the development of duplexes on all lots zoned for detached
single-family residential use.
Provides an alternative for fully planning cities to implement new middle
housing zoning policy and related requirements through alteration of
local zoning to allow for certain average minimum density equivalents.
Legalizing Sixplexes, Fourplexes, And Duplexes
Washington’s proposed companion bills, SB 5670 and HB 1782, prioritized by Governor Jay Inslee and sponsored by Senator Mona Das and Representative Jessica Bateman, would legalize middle housing in three tiers, depending on proximity to transit and city population:
- Up to sixplexes on all residential lots within a half-mile of a major transit stop in cities with populations of 20,000 or more.
- Up to fourplexes on all residential lots elsewhere in cities of 20,000 or more.
- Duplexes on all residential lots in cities with populations of at least 10,000.
A second key piece of the bill would limit parking mandates. On-site parking is often incompatible with cost-efficient middle housing design. For middle housing within a half-mile of transit in cities of 20,000 or more, the bill would lift all parking mandates. Elsewhere, the bill would cap mandates for middle housing at no more than one parking stall per lot on lots 6,000 square feet or smaller, and at no more than two stalls per lot on lots larger than that.
To protect existing communities from displacement pressures that could be exacerbated by middle housing reforms, the bill includes anti-displacement measures for rezoned areas within a half-mile of transit. It would require that cities take the actions defined by a 2021 bill that established new anti-displacement standards for local planning.
While setting a statewide baseline standard for middle housing, the bill would also provide flexibility and support for local governments:
- Cities would retain control over siting and design as long as the rules aren’t any more restrictive that those that apply to detached houses. But the bill would also set a “reasonableness standard” to prevent local restrictions that would render middle housing all but impossible to build, even if technically legal.
- Cities enacting the required zoning reforms would be immune from appeals and lawsuits on those actions under the State Environmental Policy Act or Growth Management Act.
- Cities would have two years to pass the required zoning changes, and those with unusual infrastructure limitations could apply for delayed implementation.
- The Governor’s 2022 budget includes $3.5 million for the Department of Commerce to assist local governments in implementing middle housing zoning reforms.
Lastly, the bill offers an alternative path for compliance, under which cities could, instead of legalizing fourplexes and duplexes, opt to enact zoning that allows a specified minimum average housing unit density for the city as a whole. The bill’s required minimum average density is tiered by population:
- 500,000 or more: 40 dwellings per gross acre (DU/AC)
- 100,000 to 500,000: 30 DU/AC
- 20,000 to 100,000: 25 DU/AC
- 10,000 to 20,000: 15 DU/AC
Photo Courtesy Magellan Architects
HB 1337 - 2021-22 Concerning Accessory Dwelling Units
Sponsors Representatives Gregerson, Barkis, Fitzgibbon, Chambers, Peterson,
Davis, Gilday, Bateman, Callan, Eslick, Young, Harris-Talley, and Macri
History
In The House
Brief Summary
Provides that cities and counties that adopt specified policies regarding
accessory dwelling units may qualify for a distribution from the
accessory dwelling unit incentive account.
Distributions from the accessory dwelling unit incentive account are
based on the number of qualifying new accessory dwelling units
constructed after the regulations are adopted.
Provides for the transfer from the General Fund of $1,000,000 each
fiscal year to be used for distributions, with any remainder to be returned
to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year.
Photo Courtesy Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU) Carriage Houses NW
Photo Courtesy Carriage Houses NW
HB 1660 - 2021-22 Concerning Accessory Dwelling Units
Sponsors Representatives Shewmake, Ryu, Fitzgibbon, Ramel, Bateman,
Gregerson, Goodman, Macri, Peterson, Simmons, Bergquist, Tharinger,
History
Brief Summary
Prohibits an owner-occupancy requirement from being imposed on a lot
with an accessory dwelling unit unless an accessory dwelling unit on the
lot is being used for short-term rental, and sets deadlines for local
jurisdictions to comply with this prohibition.
H. R. 6307 Tiny Homes For Veterans Act
Sponsors Kilmer, Sponsors Mace, Cicilline, Titus, Crist, Krishnamoorthi, McKinley, Quigley
Actions
| 01/06/2022 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Action By: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs |
| 12/16/2021 | Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Action By: House of Representatives |
| 12/16/2021 | Introduced in House Action By: House of Representatives |
Brief Summary
The Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act of 2021 creates a pilot program from the VA’s existing GPD program that would provide grants for recipients to build villages of individualized tiny transitional homes for our nation’s veterans who are experiencing homelessness. The individualized homes are a key to the pilot program and offer to enhance safety nets and privacy for certain veteran populations – including women and the LGBTQ+ community. The villages would include wrap-around supportive services for the veterans and their families.
“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom. ”
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on a single night in January 2020, over 37,000 of our nation’s veterans experienced homeless – including an estimated 1,600 in Washington state. Nearly all of them experienced homelessness as individuals (98%). Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to further exacerbate this crisis.
H.R.6332 - Planning for Aging Veterans Act of 2021
Sponsors Derek Kilmer, Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Actions
| 01/06/2022 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Action By: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs |
| 12/20/2021 | Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Action By: House of Representatives |
| 12/20/2021 | Introduced in House Action By: House of Representatives |
Brief Summary
The Federal Worker Leave Fairness Act will:
Extend Disabled Veteran leave to 24 months to any Veteran who entered the program between March of 2019 – June of 2021.
Restore any leave that has already been lost to any Disable Veteran who entered the program in March of 2019 or later. This leave will be extended to 24 months from the original leave start date.
The Disabled Veteran Leave Extension/Restoration Act is supported by the Federal Managers Association (FMA), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE).
Photo Courtesy Magellan Architects
Seattle Pre-Approved DADU
Carriage Houses NW obtained an exclusive agreement with esteemed architectural firm Magellan Architects to build backyard cottages and tiny houses. Magellan is a Bellevue-based firm whose MADADU design was a winner in the City of Seattle’s DADU design contest. As a result of the win, that floor plan is pre-approved by the city, which results in a quicker permitting process. Magellan’s designs are recognized for their:
- Low cost options
- Green building + design concepts
- Constructability
- Privacy + Context
In addition to the MADADU, the firm has designed several tiny houses on wheels and backyard cottages exclusively for Carriage Houses NW
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