At Greater Spokane Inc., we’re working with partners to tackle Washington’s housing crisis by supporting affordable, diverse housing options and streamlined permitting
By John Somerlott, Greater Spokane Inc. Legislative Assistant
For Spokane’s small and local businesses, a thriving community means more than just foot traffic – it means a stable workforce, loyal customers, and room to grow. However, rising housing costs across Washington, including right here in the Spokane region, are making it increasingly difficult for workers to live in the communities where they work. When workers are priced out, businesses lose both the talent that keeps them running and the consumers that keep them thriving. As the backbone of the economy, these workers are essential, yet housing challenges continue to threaten local stability.
To tackle this growing challenge, we’re uniting community voices and resources to advocate for smart, practical legislation that makes housing more affordable, accessible, and efficient to build. The following sections spotlight legislation that has been active this session and is still under consideration in Olympia. Regardless of the outcome this year, our commitment to advancing lasting progress will not change. With just weeks left in the legislative session, many key bills we’ve backed are still in play, and we remain optimistic. While it’s unclear which will pass before Sine Die, just under two weeks away, we’re continuing to push bold, long-term solutions to keep housing affordability and availability at the forefront for lawmakers.
Washington State’s Housing Crisis: What’s Causing the Issue?
Washington state’s housing supply is woefully low, with special significance in our lack of middle housing (townhomes, duplexes, and condos, for example). Current projections estimate that Washington will need an additional one million homes over the next 20 years to meet demand. In 2024, the Department of Commerce identified five key strategies to guide legislative action:
- Increasing funding support
- Streamlining administrative and regulatory processes
- Supporting construction job training
- Promoting diverse housing types
- Expanding homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income households
Advancing these recommendations helps make housing accessible and affordable. A healthy housing market strengthens Spokane businesses’ ability to attract and retain skilled workers, support population growth, and foster long-term economic resilience. Spokane’s circumstances are in line with the state as well. Home prices doubled in Spokane County from 2010 to 2020. By 2037, the city will require nearly 7,000 more housing units to meet projected demand.
In this legislative session, we have challenged lawmakers to focus on regulatory reform and innovative housing models that provide long-term, sustainable solutions to our housing problem, as housing issues today affect your workforce tomorrow.
Housing Advocacy: Key Legislation Supporting Affordable Housing in Washington
One of our key priorities for the 2025 State Legislative Agenda is attainable housing. In our agenda, developed in partnership with GSI’s Regional Advocacy Committee (RAC), we highlighted several core goals for the legislative session. These included streamlining bureaucratic processes, expanding development opportunities, and reducing barriers for the construction of middle housing. While not every one of these bills may get passed before time runs out in this legislative session, we will continue to push for their goals.
Land Use and Diversifying Washington’s Housing Stock
HB 1096 focuses on streamlining lot splitting and permitting processes. Currently, subdividing larger lots is costly and complicated, indirectly discouraging more efficient land use. By simplifying lot splits, HB 1096 lowers development costs for property owners. This provides better homeownership opportunities by making properties accessible to a broader range of buyers who may otherwise pass on large lots with modest structures and makes it easier to create new housing.
Condominiums represent a significant gap in Washington’s housing market, as many residents are priced out of single-family homes and have limited alternatives beyond renting. They provide an affordable path to ownership without the maintenance demands of detached homes. However, a 2022 Department of Commerce review identified key barriers to condo development, including heightened lawsuit risks and greater financial incentives for building rentals. HB 1403 addresses these challenges by reducing legal risks and streamlining regulations, making condo construction more attractive to developers. Condominiums also promote stable population density while offering valuable homeownership options for seniors, individuals with disabilities, first-time buyers, and folks who aren’t likely to qualify for a single-family home.
Last for housing diversity is the expansion of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). ADUs are self-contained living spaces built on the same property as a primary residence. SB 5470 expands the ability of homeowners to construct ADUs, which provide flexible, lower-cost housing alternatives that are ideal for workforce housing, multigenerational living, or rental income generation. They increase housing supply without requiring large-scale developments, making them a practical, community-friendly option.
Cutting Red Tape to Speed Up Housing
One of the quickest and most effective ways to improve housing accessibility is by streamlining the approval processes for new projects. By accelerating and simplifying policies, builders can better meet housing demands statewide. SB 5611 protects project opportunities, SB 5719 requires the use of hearing examiners for plat approvals, and SB 5729 eliminates duplicative permitting requirements.
Reducing barriers allows builders to develop housing more efficiently in high-demand areas, lowering costs and accelerating construction timelines. Streamlined approvals bring more homes to market faster and enable builders to take on additional projects with less administrative burden. These improvements not only boost housing supply but also drive job creation and attract new investment into local economies. Requiring impartial hearing examiners ensures development decisions are based on sound planning rather than political pressure, while simplifying permitting by cutting unnecessary redundancies helps reduce costs and delays without compromising safety or quality.
Making Space Available for Housing
SB 5184 addresses minimum parking requirements that often hinder housing development. This legislation limits cities’ ability to impose parking mandates based on facility size, making it more feasible to build housing in areas where such requirements have previously made construction cost-prohibitive or logistically challenging. By reducing the required footprint, the bill opens up development opportunities in densely populated regions where land is both limited and expensive. This shift is critical for city planners and employers, enabling more efficient land use, strategic expansion, better access to talent, and smarter resource allocation. SB 5184 facilitates essential housing development and enhances economic efficiency and community sustainability.
A Call to Action for Washington’s Future
Washington’s housing challenges present an opportunity to strengthen the long-term vitality of our workforce, economy, and communities. By expanding access to affordable, diverse housing options, we can ease the burden on families, support essential public services, and fuel business growth. Recent legislative efforts mark meaningful progress toward a more inclusive and sustainable housing future—and they’re just the beginning.
What Can You Do to Support Affordable Housing?
We’re proud to stand alongside a coalition of chambers of commerce and industry groups, united in advocating for strong, thriving communities across our state. Share your voice with legislators at BuildUpWa.com and join us for our first State of Housing event, presented by Numerica Credit Union on July 8, where we’ll bring together development, planning, and comprehensive growth leaders to explore the current landscape, emerging trends, and tangible actions underway to increase access to attainable housing across our region. Save your seat and register here for the early-bird discount.
