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Advocacy

The Housing Consortium of Everett and Snohomish County advocates for resources to help every member of our community have a safe and affordable home.

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.

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In Washington State

We work with State Legislators and affordable housing advocates to promote legislation that will support the development, operation and preservation of affordable housing in Washington.

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Partners

We work in cooperation with partner organizations around the state such as the Washington  Low Income Housing Alliance, the Housing Development Consortium , the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium, the Tacoma Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium  and the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless to support legislation for affordable  housing.

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In the Nation

We monitor Federal housing legislation and support adequate funding for HUD programs, including the Section 8 voucher program. More on federal issues can be found at the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

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