Updating GMA Housing Elements

Jurisdictions required to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may request Commerce to review their housing element and any housing development regulations adopted or amended after July 27, 2025 to determine compliance with the laws and regulations in RCW 36.70A.835(7)(a). If Commerce approves the submitted housing element and regulations, Commerce will defend its decision before the state’s Growth Management Hearings Board should there be an appeal.

The following steps outline the process for jurisdictions seeking voluntary approval of their housing element and regulations:

• The jurisdiction must provide a written notice of intent (NOI) to apply for HAA voluntary review at least 120 days prior to HAA application and at least 110 days prior to final adoption.
• Commerce will review the proposed housing element and regulations, provide technical assistance, and advise the jurisdiction of the actions necessary to receive approval.
• Commerce will hold a joint hearing with the local government prior to adoption.
• Jurisdictions must submit a formal HAA application to Commerce within 10 days of final action to amend, repeal or replace the housing element or housing development regulations.
• Commerce will review the adopted items and issue a written decision within 90 days.

Voluntary review jurisdictions

The following jurisdictions have notified the Department of Commerce of their intent to apply for HAA voluntary approval.

• Liberty Lake (PDF)

Commerce may select up to 10 cities or counties for selected review each calendar year to review their housing element and any housing development regulations for compliance with state law.

Commerce must prioritize jurisdictions for review based on criteria including, but not limited to, those provided in RCW 36.70A.835(9)(a)(i). Jurisdictions who are selected for review and determined to be non-compliant may not deny affordable or moderate-income housing development or approve such projects with conditions or restrictions that have a substantial adverse impact on the viability of the project. Additionally, non-compliant jurisdictions may not be eligible for certain state grants and loans.

Commerce is currently in the process of defining the selection criteria and process for selected review. An initial stakeholder input session on the HAA selected review process is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11. Register here for this virtual meeting. Public comments on the HAA selected review process are due to Commerce by September 22, 2025.

Commerce will incorporate the feedback received from the HAA engagement session into an HAA public comment draft proposal and solicit feedback during a 30-day public comment period tentatively scheduled for October 2025. The final HAA selection criteria and process will be published by December 2025, and the first group of selected jurisdictions will be notified in December 2025. The selected review program will focus on jurisdictions who have completed their periodic update.

If you are interested in applying for housing element approval or have questions about the program, please email Laura Hodgson, Laura.Hodgson@Commerce.Wa.Gov.

Selected review jurisdictions

Local government HAA compliance list forthcoming in early 2026.

In 2021, the Washington Legislature changed the way communities are required to plan for housing. House Bill 1220 (2021) amended the Growth Management Act (GMA) to instruct local governments to “plan for and accommodate” housing affordable to all income levels. This significantly strengthened the previous goal, which was to encourage affordable housing.

The amended law also directed the Department of Commerce to project future housing needs for jurisdictions by income level and made significant updates to how jurisdictions are to plan for housing in the housing element of their comprehensive plans. These new changes to local housing elements include:

• Planning for sufficient land capacity for housing needs, including all economic segments of the population (moderate, low, very low and extremely low income, as well as emergency housing and permanent supportive housing).
• Providing for moderate density housing options within Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), including but not limited to duplexes, triplexes and townhomes.
• Making adequate provisions for housing for existing and projected needs for all economic segments of the community, including documenting programs and actions needed to achieve housing availability.
• Identifying racially disparate impacts, displacement and exclusion in housing policies and regulations, and beginning to undo those impacts; and identifying areas at higher risk of displacement and establishing anti-displacement policies.

• Establishing Housing Targets for Your Community (Housing Need Projections and Allocation)
  • Housing Needs webinar recording (Vimeo)
  • Housing Needs presentation (PDF)
    
• Updating Your Housing Element with HB 1220 (2021) Requirements (Land Capacity and Making Adequate Provisions)
  • Housing Element webinar recording (Vimeo)
  • Housing Element presentation (PDF)
    
• Racially Disparate Impacts, Displacement and Exclusion in Housing
  • Racially Disparate Impacts webinar recording (Vimeo)
  • Racially Disparate Impacts presentation (PDF)
    
  • Talking Race for Planners
  • Talking Race webinar recording (Vimeo)
  • Talking Race presentation (PDF)
    

In 2023, Commerce leveraged funding from the Legislature to compile data for local governments completing the racially disparate impacts, exclusion, displacement and displacement risk analysis work required under the new housing element requirements. The following resources are available to support jurisdictions:

Racially Disparate Impact (RDI) Data Toolkit

Commerce developed a RDI Data Toolkit to provide local jurisdictions with a base level of data to use in their analysis, particularly in identifying racially disparate impacts and exclusion. Data is available for all jurisdictions on our EZview website. Under the “RDI Data Toolkit” tab, please select your periodic update year and then your jurisdiction’s specific file.

Statewide displacement risk map

Outside of the Central Puget Sound area, there is no widely available displacement risk map local governments may use to understand displacement risk. Commerce has developed a draft statewide displacement risk map for public review through September 2023. 

• DRAFT Statewide Displacement Risk Map (ArcGIS map)
• Displacement Risk Map webinar recording (Vimeo) and presentation (PDF)
• DRAFT Displacement Risk Data (Excel) used in the map
• Commerce and PSRC Displacement Risk Maps Comparison Memo (PDF)

Examples of RDI analysis from 2021-2023 grantee work

During the 2021-2023 biennium, the Legislature funded a middle housing grant program in the Central Puget Sound region for cities to use towards middle housing planning. The grant included a requirement to analyze racially disparate impacts, displacement and exclusion. Example analyses performed by grantees will be loaded under the “Equity Displacement and Exclusion” section on this EZView webpage.

• Guidance for Developing a Housing Action Plan (June 2020) (PDF) – This guidance provides information on community and stakeholder engagement and a suite of strategies for increasing housing supply and diversity.
  • Watch the MRSC webinar on HAPs (Vimeo)
  • Download the MRSC presentation on HAPs (PDF)
    
• Guidance for Developing a Housing Needs Assessment (March 2020) (PDF)
  • Watch the MRSC webinar on Housing Needs Assessments (Vimeo)
  • Download the MRSC presentation on Housing Needs Assessments (PDF)

The EZ View Website on Housing Affordability provides a range of resources useful for local government housing planning including financial resources, data and studies.