ByRepresentatives Jacobsen, Griffey, Bronoske, Goehner, Chapman, Volz, Couture, Abbarno, Chambers, Klicker, Tharinger, Barkis, Christian, Stokesbary, Eslick, Walen, and Cheney

AN ACT Relating to cities and counties creating a simple, standardized housing permit process for affordable housing units in areas designated for housing; and adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW.

(1) All cities and counties may adopt development regulations that create a simple, low cost, expedited permit process for development of single-family, duplex, triplex, or accessory dwelling housing units with less than 1,801 square feet per unit for property situated within cities or urban growth areas in locations designated for residential housing. This process should make it easy for an applicant to be able to submit and receive approval for all permits required to build housing units. The expedited process should lower costs and simplify the building of housing units tailored to be priced for extremely low-income, low-income, or moderate-income households.

(2) Cities and counties that adopt an expedited permitting process under this section must count the number of housing units built pursuant to the process and report the amount to the department by March 30th of the following year. The reported information is to include all housing units completed for occupancy from January 1st to December 31st.

(3) The department must post a report on its website detailing the total number of housing units built as reported by the cities and counties by June 30th of the year the data is provided by the cities and counties. The website must be updated at least annually with the most recent information.