REALTORS® Introduce New Resource for Tracking Changes to Housing Policy
January 15, 2025
This month, Seattle King County REALTORS® has launched REALTORS® + Housing, a new website dedicated to tracking the changes to housing policy mandated by two pieces of legislation passed by the Washington Legislature in 2023: HB 1110 and HB 1337. These bills are set to transform housing policies in urban and suburban areas by allowing middle housing and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) across the Puget Sound region.
“We know that everyone in Washington State has been reading about middle housing and the big changes that are coming,” said Sol Villarreal, 2025 VP of Governmental & Public Affairs at Seattle King County REALTORS®. “What we wanted to do with the REALTORS® + Housing website is put together a quick resource that you can bookmark on your browser. It’s a one-stop shop where you can find out what middle housing rules apply in what communities.”
Developed in partnership with Washington REALTORS® and Kimley-Horn, REALTORS® + Housing allows users to search cities in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap Counties for up-to-date information on what kind of middle housing is allowed and how much. The homepage features a clickable map of Washington counties and then sorts a county’s municipalities by population.
Potential use cases include REALTORS® using the site to answer client questions about whether an ADU can be built on a property. Developers can use REALTORS® + Housing as a quick reference for where and how many units can be built on a newly acquired lot. Any homeowner will be able to look up any zoning changes as cities and towns approve new Comprehensive Plans in 2025.
Cities across the Puget Sound region have until June 30, 2025, to adopt middle housing provisions into their code, and REALTORS® + Housing will be updated as ordinances are passed. Links to the Comprehensive Plans of Seattle and Tacoma, the two biggest cities in our region, are already posted.
Villarreal says, “We designed the REALTORS® + Housing website to answer two simple questions: Does middle housing apply in this case? And if so, to what extent? That’s it.”