Advocacy

HCESC 2023 State Legislative Agenda

Housing Trust Fund

• $400 million investment in the Housing Trust Fund from the capital budget to build safe, healthy and affordable homes for our most vulnerable citizens.

• Pre-Covid, more than 30,000 SnoCo households were already paying more than 50% of their income for housing putting them at risk of homelessness. The virus has only made this worse.

• Safe, healthy, affordable housing is the foundation upon which people build better lives and communities prosper.

HB 1110 / SB 5190 Better Land Use for Housing

• Allow greater flexibility and variety of housing types including duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes on lots zoned for detached single-family residential use.

HB 1111 – Housing Benefit Districts

• Enable cities to establish housing benefit districts (HBD) for acquisition and disposition of land for affordable homes within 0.5 miles of light rail and bus rapid transit.

• The bill would create a competitive grant program for cities to apply to.

• Eligible uses of the funds are land acquisition, infrastructure development, and equitable station area planning.

• At least 34% of the acquired land must be transferred at a discounted rate for affordable housing, some sold for workforce housing, and no more than 33% sold for market housing at full market price (with all proceeds used to purchase more land for affordable housing).

HB 1628 Affordable Homes Act

• Create a new 4% real estate excise tax (REET) on the portion of property sales price above $5 million. The revenues will be dedicated to the Housing Trust Fund, Apple Health and Homes account, a developmental disabilities trust account, and operations, maintenance and services for permanent supportive housing.

• Create a new local option REET. Allows cities and counties to impose a 0.25% excise tax on property sales. The revenues will be dedicated to building, acquiring, maintaining, and providing services for affordable housing, both rental and homeownership.

SHB 1326 Connection Fee Waiver

• Authorizes municipal utilities to establish a program to waive connection charges for properties owned or developed by, or on the behalf of, a nonprofit organization, public development authority, housing authority, or local agency that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, or affordable housing.

• Requires that any waived connection charges be funded through general funds, grant dollars, or another identified revenue stream.