Planning for households earning less than 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) requires coordination between counties, cities, and service providers. Grants are now available through Feb. 16, 2024, to help support coordination of land use planning and homeless service planning. Commerce has allocated $1 million with up to $50,000 in funding available for each countywide or regional application using the following criteria. Grant applicants must be: A county…
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…
Thank you to all who joined the WA Department of Commerce’s Energy Division on December 20, 2023 for our pre-session priority briefing! We had a jam-packed meeting with a total of over 400 stakeholders from various geographies and sectors across the state. Panelists from the Energy Division’s policy team presented on a wide range of our priorities heading into the 2024 legislative session including: clean transportation, community clean energy development…
Gov. Jay Inslee appointed the former U.S. Small Business Administration Pacific Northwest Regional Administrator and Seattle Deputy Mayor to lead Commerce in April. OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming and Trade Committee today confirmed by unanimous vote the appointment of Mike Fong to lead the Department of Commerce. A final confirmation vote by the full Senate will take place during the 2024 session which convened…
In response to valuable feedback from the Request for Information (RFI) issued in fall 2023, as well as previous stakeholder input, Commerce is implementing a new approach that is designed to reduce barriers for applicants, maximize the construction timeline for clean energy projects and enhance equitable outcomes. In the first half of 2024, Commerce will offer clean energy funding opportunities tailored to specific applicants and project types. Tribal Clean Energy…
Hydrogen can play an important role in Washington’s economy as it transforms to eliminate use of fossil fuels for energy, but the state must prioritize it for the most strategic uses, ensure adequate supplies of clean electricity for hydrogen production, and focus on environmental justice considerations, according to a report released this week by the Washington Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce has published a new legislative report titled…
Message from the Managing Director As we enter a new year, the Multifamily Housing Unit (MHU) is committed to connecting our team of housing experts to stakeholders and engaging in a process of continued learning from the communities in our state. As part of this engagement, we want to provide a monthly overview of the ways you can get involved with the state’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF). In the first…
The Equitable Access to Credit Program, authorized by HB 1015 (RCW 82.04.449) (PDF), provides a tax preference mechanism that generates funds for grants to qualified lending institutions. These grants, funded through contributions in exchange for B&O tax credits, are dedicated to providing access to credit for historically underserved communities. The Washington Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness (OEDC) is seeking public comments and recommendations to inform the…
Ballmer Group and the Bezos Family Foundation co-fund state Child Care Partnership planning grants to 18 local organizations serving communities statewide OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced over $2 million in Child Care Partnership Grants to 18 local organizations for local planning and pre-design efforts that will expand child care capacity in communities across the state. Funding for the first year of these two-year awards…
New tax credit program will award grants to qualified lending institutions to provide businesses in historically underserved communities with access to credit. OLYMPIA, WA – Businesses and individuals with state Business and Occupation Tax (B&O) liabilities can earn tax credits by contributing to the state’s new Equitable Access to Credit program, launched in August. Cash contributions to the program can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit from the Department of Revenue…