Right now the state faces a deficit of hundreds of thousands of homes and apartments, increasing the price of both renting and property ownership. On top of that, state officials have said they believe another 1 million housing units will be needed over the next two decades as Washington continues to grow. High housing and rental prices lock out working families from both stability and long-term wealth-building. At the same time, the cost of securing shelter plays a role in increasing homelessness.
Bertolet has watched versions of the middle-housing and backyard-cottage bills die in previous years, especially as local governments opposed such ideas. And even though the bills were whittled down in size and scope as they moved through the Legislature, he was surprised this year by how strong the final versions remained.
“A lot of things came together at once … the dam burst, right?” said Bertolet.
Among other bills signed, lawmakers wrote new laws to streamline permitting for new construction, such as House Bill 1293, sponsored by Rep. Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla, and Senate Bill 5412, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline. And lawmakers cleared the way to build more condominiums with Senate Bill 5058, sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley.
Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, who works in property management, played a role in advancing the housing bills. Barkis saw one of his bills, which would have allowed people to split their lots to build an additional home, die along the way. He also co-sponsored the middle-housing and backyard-cottage bills, and has for years pushed lawmakers to pass legislation to boost housing supply.