Permitting
Back to News Center Background During the last 5 years, the Legislature has tried several different approaches to address our state’s housing crisis: Incentives Beginning in 2019, with support from REALTORS®, the Legislature provided financial incentives to cities if they made specific modifications to development regulations to quickly accommodate more…
Read MoreBack to News Center Currently, Renton’s city code provides that decisions on land-use-related development applications are made by a professional Hearing Examiner. Once the Examiner’s decision is made, the City Council acts as a “quasi-judicial” appellate body for appeals of most land-use decisions. Seattle King County REALTORS® are making good…
Read MoreBack to News Center Regulations accounted for nearly a quarter (23.8%) of the average cost of a new home ($394,300), according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The figures are based on data from 2021, the latest available information. In a more recent study, the 2024 Cost of…
Read MoreBack to News Center Seattle issued 987 permits for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in 2023, twice the volume in 2020 when the city issued 482 ADU permits. Officials point to an easing of regulations in 2019 as a key factor, according to a newly released ADU progress report. The report,…
Read MoreBack to News Center Covington is among the cities working to bring its development regulations, specifically its permitting processes, into compliance with new mandates on cities and counties in Senate Bill 5290, which the legislature passed during the 2023 session. The bill requires that: Within 20 business days of a…
Read MoreBack to News Center This year, Washington REALTORS® prioritized legislation that would increase housing supply and address the growing affordability problems in our region. HB 1337 was championed by the REALTORS® and passed in the Washington Legislature in the 2023 session. This bill makes it easier to build ADUs (accessory…
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