Bill > SB5747

This bill addresses Washington state's housing crisis by providing flexibility in building and energy code requirements for affordable housing projects. The bill defines affordable housing as residential units where housing costs do not exceed 30% of a household's monthly income, or housing that is within the means of low and moderate-income households (defined as those earning 80% or less of the median local income). To encourage affordable housing development, the bill allows cities and counties to enforce any of the last four iterations of state building and energy codes for qualifying affordable housing projects. This means developers can choose from older, potentially less stringent building code standards when constructing, altering, or repairing affordable housing, which could help reduce construction costs and barriers to creating more housing units. The legislation aims to provide more flexibility in code enforcement and potentially incentivize the development of more affordable housing to address the state's ongoing housing shortage by reducing regulatory constraints on construction.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5747&Year=2025&Initiative=false