Global Courant 2023-05-09 21:22:07
Washington, which is dealing with skyrocketing housing prices and rising homelessness, will need a million homes in the coming decades to keep up with the population. Local zoning laws in Washington have long made major city areas available only to single-family homes. Gov. Jay Inslee recently signed legislation to override local zoning laws and make duplexes and quadruples legal in Washington.
At a time of skyrocketing home prices, rising homelessness and a housing crisis in Washington that will require more than 1 million homes over the next two decades to keep up with population growth, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Monday legalizing duplex and fourplex housing in most neighborhoods in almost every city to increase the state’s housing supply.
House Bill 1110 removes local zoning regulations that have long kept large areas in cities for single-family homes only. The new law does not prohibit the construction of single-family homes, but it does prevent cities from requiring neighborhoods to have only single-family homes.
While cities lobbied to keep zoning in check, similar legislation had failed in recent years. But supporters this year worked closely with the Association of Washington Cities, which provided support in the final weeks of Washington’s legislative session.
WASHINGTON SENATE APPROVES HOUSING LAW TO LEGALIZE DUPLEXES, QUADPLEXES
States are increasingly stepping in to deal with a national housing crisis as populations grow and housing stocks fail to keep pace. Oregon abolished single-family zoning in 2019, and California largely did the same in 2021.
Opponents of the new law in Washington argue that planning and land-use decisions should be handled locally and that the law is a gift to developers without doing enough to increase affordable housing.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has made duplexes and quadruples legal in the state in a move that overturned previous rules that kept large city areas available only to single-family homes (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Proponents of the measure, however, argue that an increase in housing supply is a critical step in navigating the housing crisis. The State Department of Commerce estimates that Washington will need to build an additional 1 million homes over the next two decades to keep pace with population growth.
“We’re going to make it easier to build homes of all shapes and sizes in Washington,” said Democratic Representative Jessica Bateman of Olympia, who was the main sponsor of House Bill 1110.
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The law requires cities with populations between 25,000 and 75,000 to allow duplexes in all residential areas. Any area within half a mile of a major bus stop, park or school should allow four plexes. Building four plexes would be allowed anywhere if one unit meets affordable housing needs.
In cities with more than 75,000 inhabitants, all residential areas must allow four-plexes. Areas near major thoroughfares, parks, or schools must allow six-plexes, which would be allowed anywhere if two of the units are affordable.
