Cities and counties planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) must include a housing element in their comprehensive plans. The GMA housing goal directs local governments to plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all economic segments of the population, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock.
To guide local governments in updating their comprehensive plans and regulations with respect to a housing element, Commerce has developed the following guidance and resources.
- Establishing Housing Targets for Your Community (Book 1) (PDF)
- Guidance for Updating your Housing Element (Book 2) (PDF)
- Guidance to Address Racially Disparate Impacts (Book 3) (PDF)
- Overview of new housing element requirements and projected housing needs (PDF)
Expanded Housing Checklist (Word) – This optional checklist provides the framework Commerce regional planners will use to review periodic update housing submissions.
Housing Element Examples – Commerce’s EZView webpage includes examples of the new housing elements requirements from submissions Commerce has received.
Webinar: Lessons Learned from GMA Housing Element Updates (YouTube) – In partnership with MRSC, Commerce and two local governments shared lessons learned and experiences from updating housing elements in the first round of comprehensive plan periodic updates. Commerce starts at 7:31, Town of Steilacoom at 27:45, Snohomish County at 43:28. Download Commerce PowerPoint (PPT).
GMA Statutes
- Growth Management Act Housing Goal – RCW 26.70A.020(4)
- Growth Management Act Housing Element – RCW 36.70A.070(2) and WAC 365-196-410
- Affordable Housing Incentive Programs – RCW 36.70A.540
Housing Accountability Act
In 2025, the Washington State Legislature adopted Senate Bill 5148 (Chapter 269, Laws of 2025). Known as the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), this bill is intended to support robust and accountable housing planning by providing both voluntary and selected approval processes for local government housing elements and housing development regulations.
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 of Chapter 269, Laws of 2025, Section 1(7). 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.
Commerce will host a HAA Voluntary Review open house at 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 19. Register here for the open house.
For jurisdictions with periodic updates due Dec. 31, 2025, the notice of intent is due to Commerce by September 12th, 2025. We recommend notifying Commerce as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for technical assistance if needed.
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 SB 5148. 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.
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 19, 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 program will commence in 2026. 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.
HAPT
Housing for All Planning Tool (HAPT)
The Housing for All Planning Tool includes countywide housing need projections and three methods for allocating housing needs to individual jurisdictions.
STEP
HB 1220 (2021) requires jurisdictions to update their development regulations with respect to emergency shelters, transitional housing, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing (STEP).
To assist cities and counties in integrating effective STEP planning into local regulations, Commerce worked with Abt Associates and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) to develop a portfolio of new STEP guidance documents and tools including:
- State of the Practice Report (PDF) to summarize state and federal regulations, existing local practices and best practices for the siting and development of STEP.
- Model Ordinance, User Guide and Best Practices Report (PDF) to help local jurisdictions develop their own ordinances.
- Four case studies (PDF) on successful local implementation of STEP
- Communications toolkit to help jurisdictions communicate the benefits, challenges and best practices associated with STEP
An additional toolkit to support communications around Permanent Support Housing can be found on the Permanent Supportive Housing Toolkit webpage.
Webinar
Commerce hosted a webinar to present the STEP model ordinance materials on July 24. Review the webinar presentation at the following links:
Definitions and background
The following resources explain what the four STEP types are and what laws govern their regulation:
- Supportive Housing Types Review Checklist (Word) – This checklist is intended to help local governments review and prepare codes that regulate STEP types.
- Supportive Housing Types (PPT) – Provides an overview of STEP housing types and supports for jurisdictions undertaking this work.
- Recording of presentation on Supportive Housing Types (Vimeo) – the recording starts at 1:07:30.
For more information on STEP, please contact Laura.Hodgson@commerce.wa.gov or at 360-764-3143.
CLIHP
Coordinating Low-Income Housing Planning (CLIHP) grants support activities that plan for and accommodate housing that is affordable for individuals and families earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.
See the GMA Grants webpage for more information and application materials.
Other housing resources
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)
- Updating Your Housing Element with HB 1220 (2021) Requirements (Land Capacity and Making Adequate Provisions)
- Racially Disparate Impacts, Displacement and Exclusion in Housing
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)
The EZ View Website on Housing Affordability provides a range of resources useful for local government housing planning including financial resources, data and studies.