GOVERNOR PROPOSES LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS WASHINGTON’S HOUSING CRISIS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GOVERNOR PROPOSES LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS WASHINGTON’S HOUSING CRISIS

Washington REALTORS® Invited to Speak During Conference

[OLYMPIA, WA] – During a Press Conference on December 15, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee introduced proposed “missing middle housing” legislation that would legalize and incentivize duplexes, triplexes, quads, and lot splits on all residential lots located within half a mile of a major transit stop in Washington’s larger cities. Washington REALTORS® were invited to speak during the Press Conference to give background and support for the mission of the proposed legislation.

Washington State is experiencing a housing crisis fueled by supply and demand. A lack of inventory in all counties within the state have caused prices to rise to the extent that homeownership is unattainable for many Washingtonians, despite Washington having the highest GDP growth of any state in the last five years. Most local zoning policies prohibit density on single-family lots, making it harder to build more housing, not easier. As communities continue to grow and more people compete for the same limited housing supply, the unaffordability crisis will only worsen.