Rep. Jacobsen’s bipartisan bill to help increase affordable housing passes committee

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen to ease the housing shortage in Washington unanimously passed out of committee on Thursday.

House Bill 1401 would empower all cities and counties to adopt a simple, low-cost, expedited permit process for development of single-family, duplex, triplex, or accessory dwelling units with less than 1,801 square feet per unit. The Housing Committee unanimously passed the bill on Thursday.

The expedited process is designed to lower costs and simplify the building of housing units tailored to low- to moderate-income households in urban areas.

“This simple legislation would help ease our state's affordable housing shortage and give the people of Washington more housing options,” said Jacobsen, R-Puyallup. “By giving more control to local governments and allowing them to make permitting decisions based on their own needs and circumstances, everyone wins.”

An additional bill from Jacobsen to address the state's housing shortage, House Bill 1402, is scheduled for a vote in the House Local Government Committee on Feb. 8.

“These two bills represent important steps in the complex process of increasing the affordable housing options in our state,” noted Jacobsen. “I'm pleased to see them moving forward.”

HB 1401 now waits for a vote on the House floor.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov