Following on the heels of the successful Building Opportunity and Choices for All interim ordinance, the Building Opportunity for Housing project developed lasting Comprehensive Plan and Municipal Code amendments that increased housing choice and diversity in the city by supporting middle housing development.
On December 14, 2023, City Council approved an emergency ordinance to limit the number of units in the R1 and R2 zones to 4 units. The ordinance limits the units on a temporary basis, while the state legislature and federal agencies work on further guidance and adjustments to recent state legislation to address federal lending and appraisal requirements. Upon completion of that guidance, future amendments to Title 17 SMC are anticipated to permanently address any conflicts with the recently passed middle housing regulations.
On November 20, 2023, City Council approved the proposed Building Opportunity for Housing text amendments. Thanks to the attention and dedication of residents and community stakeholders, the new housing regulations will make Middle Housing more feasible throughout Spokane, providing for greater housing diversity and increasing opportunities for homeownership. You can watch a recording of the City Council hearing.
Key changes include:
The code changes go into effect January 1, 2024.
The City’s Interim Ordinance represented an important but temporary response to the critical need for more housing in the city. However, as an emergency interim ordinance, it was set to expire on December 18, 2023. Because of this, the ordinance called for a direct deep-dive into the Comprehensive Plan and Municipal Code to develop permanent policies and regulations that would take the place of the interim ordinance. The Building Opportunity for Housing project is exactly that effort.
Building Opportunity for Housing explored both the Comprehensive Plan and the Municipal Code, analyzing gaps in our existing policies and codes and crafting remedies to make it easier and more economical to develop Middle Housing in the City of Spokane.
The first phase of the Building Opportunity for Housing project amended the Vision for housing in Spokane through the Comprehensive Plan. After a round of robust public engagement, the proposed language amendments were unanimously passed by City Council on July 31, 2023. For more information on the adopted Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the public is encouraged to visit the project page for Building Opportunity for Housing Phase 1.
The second phase analyzed and developed possible amendments to the Municipal Code, focusing on updating the residential development standards, such as permitted housing types, building coverage, minimum lot sizes, subdivision standards, and related administration regulations. At the conclusion of Phase 2, a series of Municipal Code amendments were considered during hearings with both the Spokane Plan Commission and the Spokane City Council.
Virtual Open House
Plan Commission Public Hearing
City Council Public Hearing
Throughout the entire project, the City undertook a series of outreach and engagement activities designed to capture the intent, vision, and impressions of residents toward housing diversity and choice.
Periodic updates will be issued by email to those on our contact list. Add your name to the list and we’ll be sure to send you news when it’s available.
Do you have a question about the project? Want to ask for more details or have a suggestion for possible solutions? Our team can be reached directly at [email protected] or by calling 509.625.6500.
Groups or organizations who would like us to reach out directly for a presentation or meeting are encouraged to contact us at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch soon.
Middle Housing is a term used to describe lower-intensity residential development that fills the gap between single-family detached homes and larger multifamily apartments. Typically defined as between 2 and 6 units per site, Middle Housing includes duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and other housing types like courtyard apartments, stacked flats, and other low-intensity multi-unit developments.
Middle Housing is ”missing” because the development of these housing types has often been restricted throughout the country starting in the mid-1900s. For example, in 2021, the City of Spokane issued permits for only seven 4-unit developments and no 3-unit developments at all. Compare that to 380 houses and more than 800 apartment units and you can see how these housing types are largely missing. It is the intent of Building Opportunity for Housing to make it more feasible to build these now missing housing types to increase choice and diversity throughout Spokane.
During the 2023 Washington state legislative session, House Bill 1110 was passed and signed into law by the Governor. What does this bill do?
Many have asked how the legislation may impact the Building Opportunity for Housing project. Fortunately, the legislation does much of what the project was already considering for Spokane, with the potential for minor adjustments to ensure full compliance. Even more fortunate, the fact that Building Opportunity for Housing has already been seeking feedback from the community on housing needs and ”Middle Housing” development means Spokane is ahead of the game when considering how best to integrate this housing throughout the City. Public feedback will help shape the how behind the “Middle Housing” discussion to ensure infill and other new development is complimentary to Spokane's unique neighborhoods.
Increased Flexibility for Desired Housing Types
Development regulations are important to ensure the quality of life and safety standards that lead to a thriving community. However, sometimes regulations can have unintended consequences. For instance, the current regulation for townhomes discourages their construction due to lot size requirements and unit limitations. Reducing the lot width and removing the unit cap can encourage the development of this housing type that gives first-time home buyers an opportunity to establish roots and connect with the community and is popular for young professionals and retirees alike.
Walkable Infill
Development infill allows residents to live near services, while also taking advantage of existing infrastructure like water, sewer and solid waste services. This creates walkable neighborhoods and responsible use of resources. Research also indicates that infill development is largely done by smaller companies, supporting small businesses along the way.
Continued Community Feedback
Feedback heard from the community during development of the Housing Action Plan and subsequent code amendments detailed on Shaping Spokane Housing have generally been positive towards promoting housing variety. The interim ordinance turned community feedback into immediate action, which is being refined and extended under the Building Opportunity for Housing project.
Transit Oriented Development
Residential opportunities near high-capacity STA transit routes can provide affordable and convenient housing options. Infill development helps make existing neighborhoods into ones where residents of all ages can walk, bike, or take transit to enjoy public spaces like parks or libraries, access daily services, or commute to work conveniently and reliably.
The interim zoning ordinance passed in July is, by nature, temporary. It expires within a year of adoption (or longer if extended). Interim ordinances are usually replaced by a permanent program that achieves the goals of the interim ordinance. In this case, BOCA was adopted temporarily to give enough time for the development of a permanent replacement to it. The permanent replacement is this project, Building Opportunity for Housing.
Building Opportunity for Housing intended to make it easier for low-scale development that complements the residential nature of our neighborhoods, while helping to foster more housing choices. If development occurs in your neighborhood, you may see more buildings that contain 2, 3, or 4 units. These units provide essential housing options to those that may not need or cannot afford a single-family home (i.e., retirees, new families, recent graduates). Currently available information suggests that some residents would like to move out of apartments or houses, but options for other types of housing are severely limited. When those residents have options for other housing, they can often vacate their current homes and make room for others that are seeking that type of housing.
What Building Opportunity for Housing does NOT seek is increased development of apartment buildings or large-scale residential development. When you imagine the impact of this project, don’t envision apartment buildings. Instead imagine small residential development that looks like the single-family homes already in your neighborhood, but with two or three units inside.
Due to the costs associated with demolition and construction, it is unlikely we will see homes in good condition being demolished. In addition to the cost of buying the property, demolishing a house can cost between $15,000 and $40,000 depending on the property, and that is before accounting for the cost of designing and physically constructing the new building. New housing developed after this project is complete is expected to occur largely on vacant lots, underutilized lots that have additional land, and dilapidated properties.
That is one of the questions we hope to answer during this process. Because the Building Opportunity for Housing project is a deeper look into policy and standards for housing, the potential is there to refine our development standards and to make the kind of development the community wants easier to design and build. If you have some good ideas as to what kind of 2-, 3-, and 4-unit development you would like to see, you should join the conversation.
If you are interested in developing your property before this work is done, please contact the Development Services Center (DSC) to schedule a Pre-Development Conference. This is an optional meeting between a project applicant and City departments and other governmental agencies involved in the plan review process. These meetings help applicants determine project feasibility and provide an overview of requirements to prepare for the application submittal process. Our Development Services Center (DSC) is on hand to help you understand the City’s development standards and what you’re allowed to do. When this project is complete and new/amended standards are adopted, the DSC will still be there to help you understand the changes and to process permits if you decide to move ahead.
Washington's Growth Management Act (GMA) (Chapter 36.70A RCW) calls for promoting a variety of residential housing types and densities, preserving existing housing stock, and encouraging housing that is affordable to all income levels. To implement these policies, cities and counties planning under the GMA must include a housing element in their comprehensive plans, or a community's roadmap for growth. And recent changes to State law (House Bill 1923) aim to increase residential capacity in cities across the state.
The City of Spokane Comprehensive Plan reflects our community's values to support economic opportunity for all citizens with affordable housing and attractive neighborhoods. The document provides a vision of housing that is safe, clean, healthy and attainable for all residents.
Responding to the new legislation, in July 2021, the City adopted its Housing Action Plan (HAP) to focus on implementation of housing policies and goals. The HAP identifies actions that the city can pursue to encourage more housing options and create more homes for more people. The Housing Action Plan built upon past initiatives and community discussions around infill development, housing quality and affordable housing funding. The HAP yielded a coordinated set of strategies, based on community priorities, that supports more people being able to find a home that meets their needs with access to opportunities, services and amenities.
Historically, Spokane has offered a mix of housing options—from mansion apartments in the historic Browne's Addition and post-War era neighborhoods like Chief Garry Park to suburban developments like Indian Trail. However, as the city has grown, the diversity and supply of housing has not been able to meet the needs of all income levels. How do we know? As part of the Spokane Housing Action Plan (HAP), the City completed a Housing Needs Assessment (PDF 8.1 MB) to determine the types of housing residents need more of, as well as the displacement risk of various Census tracts throughout the city.
During the process for the Housing Action Plan, City Council advocated for more housing types in residential zones to address the housing supply issue, which was ultimately included in Council’s Implementation Plan as Strategy II.1. Due to the nature of the City’s residential land use categories and zoning requirements, increasing the housing supply has made slow progress and been compounded by a low supply of both homes for sale and units for rents, while Washington state has seen a demographic shift as people move to areas seeking lower costs or because of remote work. The GMA (RCW 36.70A.390) outlines the availability of an interim zoning ordinance to enact quick action in response to an immediate and urgent need. In response to the rapid increase in rents and home prices, the City proposed an interim zoning ordinance to take swift action to permit and encourage the construction of more housing types in residential zones.
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City of Spokane
Department of Planning Services
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201
509.625.6500
[email protected]
Tim Thompson, AICP
Principal Planner
509.625.6893
[email protected]
Kevin Freibott
Senior Planner
509.625.6184
[email protected]
KayCee Downey, AICP
Planner II
509.625.6194
[email protected]
Brandon Whitmarsh
Planner I
509.625.6846
[email protected]