The Washington Department of Commerce is seeking proposals from qualified firms interested in preparing a guidance document for local jurisdictions on developing methods for calculating reduced and proportional impact fees and system development connection fees. The intended outcome is a connection fee structure that more accurately reflects the cost of development impacts. The work will review existing methodologies for calculating utility connection charges and the effect of utility connection charges…
The Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking your feedback on the draft updates to middle housing model ordinances and the middle housing model ordinance user guide. These two ordinances, and the accompanying user guide, will provide technical assistance and guidance to cities adopting their own middle housing ordinances, regulations, and other official controls. Draft Model Ordinance for cities population 25,000 and over (PDF) Draft Model Ordinance for cities under…
Additional grant funding is available through March to support regional planning for vulnerable residents at the lowest income levels OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $240,000 to five community partnerships across the state to support coordination of land use planning and homeless services planning. Each city or county-led partnership will use the funds to coordinate resources and plan for their lowest income housing needs, including residents…
The second round of middle housing grants supports communities creating a greater variety of housing types to respond to housing needs at all income levels OLYMPIA, WA – The Department of Commerce today announced an additional $685,000 in grants for 14 jurisdictions to support the adoption of local comprehensive plan policies and zoning codes to allow more middle housing in residential neighborhoods. These awards follow the first funding round that provided…
Commerce grants help Washington communities take another step toward meeting projected need for 1.1 million new housing units over next 20 years OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $47 million in funding for infrastructure improvements to support 43 construction projects that will provide more than 3000 units of affordable housing statewide. Washington state is projected to need 1.1 million new units of housing over the…
The Department of Commerce has published final model ordinances and guidance for cities and counties required to include middle housing under HB 1110 (2023). To account for differing middle housing requirements based on population, one model ordinance has been prepared to assist cities 25,000 in population and greater; another for those cities less than 25,000 in population. Final Model Ordinance for cities 25,000 and over (PDF) Final Model Ordinance for…
Commerce has $1 million in funding available for the current 2023-25 biennium to help counties and cities plan together for their lowest income housing needs through their upcoming comprehensive plans, consolidated plans, homelessness plans and other efforts. Grants are available to a county or a city planning department, a homeless housing lead or similar designated department within a local government, or a local non-profit provider of affordable housing or homeless…
Grants will support adoption of local actions that aim to accommodate projected housing needs at all income levels through different types of units, providing more affordable housing options OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Department of Commerce today announced nearly $3 million for 54 cities across 16 Washington counties to support the adoption of local comprehensive plan policies and zoning codes to allow more middle housing in residential neighborhoods. Increasing the availability…