# While 2023 was dubbed the 'year of housing,' 2024 could be a second act, with unfinished business left to tackle. In 2023, the Washington State Legislature focused its attention on increasing the state's housing supply with a fervor not seen in decades. And that attention paid off. Laws were passed that will soon require cities| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Kenmore could be flushing $30 million in grants and the 100 affordable homes they were intended to fund. Following a marathon public hearing that ran until late Tuesday morning, the Kenmore City Council voted 6-1 this week to reject a development agreement that would allow Plymouth Housing to construct a facility that would create a| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# In this year’s legislative session, the Washington State Legislature passed extensive housing reform. House Bill 1110 compelled many cities in Washington to open up single-housing residential zones to long-banned duplexes, cottage courts, and small apartments. Such middle housing has been missing from the calculation for years, and it’s no wonder that housing has become unaffordable| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# WALeg Wednesday considers the housing package that passed, led by HB 1110. As the legislative calendar winds its way to adjourning sine die (until next year) on Saturday, it’s easy to focus on issues that were lost in the process or ideal bills that did not get out of the legislature. Rent stabilization failed in| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Sometimes there is a concept that pops up out of the blue that sounds like solution to so many problems. Among housing advocates in recent months, that idea has been the builder's remedy. The builder's remedy is a California law that allows developers to bypass local zoning when the jurisdiction is not compliant with state| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Note: This article was revised on 10/29/21 to reflect Futurewise's decision to rename the "vesting loophole" as the "illegal growth loophole" to more clearly convey to the public its negative consequences. This is the third installment of a three-part series that explains what the Growth Management Act Illegal Growth Loophole is, what it looks like| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Futurewise 2021 Legislative Wrap-Up: Our efforts to address climate change, housing affordability, and environmental justice through comprehensive planning. At Futurewise, we believe that everyone deserves to live in dignified, safe, and affordable housing, that we must do everything we can to protect our communities and environment from the worst impacts of climate change, and that in doing| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Comprehensive updates pushing the 30-year-old Growth Management Act to be adaptive, inclusive, equitable, and actionable. When the Washington legislative session begins in less than a month, the budget and the response to Covid will be at the top of the agenda. It is a tall order to break through these dual massive issues, but at the| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
Created in 1990, the Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) helps residents, local governments, and Washington State manage growth and protect shorelines by providing a pathway for appeals arising under the Growth Management Act and the development of shoreline master programs.| eluho.wa.gov
# On Thursday, Urban Institute released a new report focused on the Seattle metropolitan region that is sure to be of interest to urbanists and housing advocates. The Urbanist published a preview of this research this fall, after talking to lead researcher Yonah Freemark. The full report goes into much more detail about housing needs in| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
Constantine Defends Bus Electrification Focus as King County Metro Service Lags| The Urbanist