MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Housing

Six Housing and Planning Bills that Help Washington Communities Confront the Housing Crisis

August 21, 2024 by Lisa Pool
Category: Parking , Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

Contains summaries of six bills related to co-living, parking standards, building conversions, middle housing, residential building and energy codes, and manufactured housing passed during the most recent short Washington State legislative session.

Modern, multi-unit residences on city street

The Importance of Housing to Downtown Revitalization

June 5, 2024 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing , Downtown Revitalization Series

As part of a broader strategy to revitalize its downtown, a local government can play a significant role in promoting more housing options, making downtown an inviting place to work, play, and live.

An older man holds a sign in protest of plans for a new stadium

Dealing with Housing Displacement in Your Comprehensive Plan

May 29, 2024 by Carson Bridges , Steve Butler
Category: Guest Author , Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management , Housing

Housing displacement brought about by gentrification can severely disrupt existing neighborhoods. Thanks to legislation in 2021, any GMA-planning local government updating a comprehensive plan must also address and include anti-displacement strategies to protect residents.

Wooden houses and heart on a blue background

What Factors Increase the Likelihood Unhoused People Will Seek Out Shelters? Part Two

March 4, 2024 by Alicia Bones
Category: Housing , Homelessness

In the second part of this blog series, we look at how local governments across Washington State are implementing best practices to reduce barriers that prevent unhoused people from accessing shelters, from funding diverse shelter types to developing regional service plans.

A woman holds a young child while both sit on a shelter bed

What Factors Increase the Likelihood Unhoused People Will Seek Out Shelters? Part One

February 28, 2024 by Alicia Bones
Category: Housing , Homelessness

How can shelter operators make their shelters more welcoming? What are some of the best practices shelters can follow to ensure that they don't enact barriers which prevent unhoused individuals from seeking help?

Active senior couple running outdoors in park along lake

Is Your Community Age Friendly?

January 31, 2024 by Lisa Pool
Category: Development Types , Housing , Inclusive Communities , Transportation and Land Use

What can planners do to make their communities more welcoming for residents as they age? Research shows that investments in transportation infrastructure, compact, mixed-use land use patterns that support walkability, and diverse housing options can help people age in place.

New multi-unit construction on empty lot

Using Surplus Public Property to Create New Affordable Housing

January 24, 2024 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing , Surplus

Does your agency own surplus property? RCW 39.33.015 allows public agencies to transfer, lease, or dispose of surplus real property to a public, private, or nongovernmental entity at low or no cost if it is for public benefit — and 'public benefit' includes affordable housing.

Recapping the November 2023 Local Ballot Measure Results

December 13, 2023 by Steve Hawley
Category: Courts and Criminal Justice System , Parks and Recreation Finance , Housing , Emergency Medical Services , Elections , Fire Protection , Homelessness , Law Enforcement

There were a 113 ballot measures before voters this past November, in an off-year election that drew record-low voter turnouts. How did that impact levy lid lifts requests, newly proposed districts, or citizen's initiatives?

Two sets of hands nestled into one another holding an image of a house

How Local Governments Can Effectively Partner with Community Land Trusts

September 13, 2023 by Carson Bridges
Category: Guest Author , Housing

Local governments can tap into numerous financial, administrative, and related tools to help community land trusts kickstart affordable housing development efforts, sustain ongoing operations, or promote new development.

An architectural model of a dense area of town

2023 Planning Legislation Impacting Local Governments

September 11, 2023 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management , Annexation , Design , Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

Common themes among these six new planning-related bills include streamlining local project review, decreasing the planning burden on smaller communities, incentivizing annexations, and increasing housing supply throughout the state.

Close up of a hand choosing a mini wooden house from among several models offered

Building Affordable Housing Through Community Land Trusts

September 6, 2023 by Carson Bridges
Category: Guest Author , Housing

Affordable housing options developed via community land trusts offer significant community development benefits, such as stabilizing hot real estate markets, ensuring long-term tenant stability, and providing investment opportunities to can build household wealth.

Major Changes to Washington's Housing Laws

July 19, 2023 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

Two of the more significant housing laws adopted this year are HB 1110, which requires certain cities to allow "middle housing" in residential zones, and HB 1337, which requires all GMA-planning cities and counties to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in residential areas.

Infill Housing Approaches: Targeting the Missing Middle and Accessory Dwellings

November 16, 2022 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing

As cities and counties look to expand housing supply in their communities, many are considering infill development, or developing vacant or under-utilized parcels within existing, developed areas. Missing middle housing and accessory dwelling units are two options to consider.

Parking Reform: Part 2

October 19, 2022 by Lisa Pool
Category: Climate Change , Parking , Housing

Increasingly, many local governments are shifting away from requiring too much off-street parking, citing social, economic, and/or environmental reasons. What tools can these communities use to better manage existing parking supply and to anticipate future needs?

Parking Reform Advances Climate Action, Housing Affordability, and More: Part 1

October 12, 2022 by Lisa Pool
Category: Climate Change , Parking , Housing

While parking is an important commodity for a community, too much parking can prevent the land from being used for another purpose, encourage excess car travel, and possibly make other forms of transportation, like biking or walking, both more complicated and dangerous.

Increasing Local Housing Supply Through Missing Middle Housing

September 14, 2022 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing

Local governments seeking to expand housing options may want to consider a missing middle program that champions use of housing types which may fly under the radar, such as cottage housing, duplexes, and triplexes, alongside more trendy approaches like live-work developments.

Funding Local Affordable Housing Efforts

August 24, 2022 by Eric Lowell
Category: Housing , Revenues

It can be difficult for cities, towns, and counties to fund local affordable housing programs, but there are some options available, from taxing options to federal and state grant programs.

2022 Growth Management Act-Related Bills

June 30, 2022 by Lisa Pool
Category: Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management , Environmental Policy and Management , Housing , Rural Uses , New Legislation and Regulations

New legislation related to the Growth Management Act (GMA) will expand tribal participation, limit appeals for actions to increase housing supply, change periodic update timelines, provide additional options for limited areas of more intense rural development (LAMIRDs), and more.

Preserving Affordability Through Manufactured Home Park Zones

June 21, 2022 by Steve Butler
Category: Development Regulations and Zoning , Housing

Manufactured homes are often overlooked yet can be an important affordable housing option. Local governments can protect them by creating new zones (or strengthening existing regulations) that designate areas specifically for manufactured home parks.

Using Affordable Housing Overlay Zones to Reduce the Risk of Displacement

April 21, 2022 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing

Increased zoning can sometimes result in gentrification of a community and the displacement of vulnerable populations. Affordable housing overlay zoning is a tool that can help to increase density without triggering the unintended consequences of gentrification and displacement.

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