housing
Washington makes another run at heat pump rules
Controversial requirements aimed at getting electric heat pumps installed in newly constructed houses, apartments and commercial buildings cleared a final regulatory hurdle Tuesday. The suite of changes, approved by the Washington State Building Code Council, is part of a broader effort by the state to slash carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency in residential and […]
Spokane’s mayor-elect on homelessness, public safety and a changing city
Spokane will soon have a new mayor. In January, longtime Democratic state legislator and former Washington Department of Commerce chief Lisa Brown will step into the job. She was ahead of incumbent Nadine Woodward in last week’s election by a margin of 51.7% to 47.7% as of Monday. Brown spent 20 years in the Legislature, […]
Jayapal calls for action on ‘out of control’ affordable housing crisis
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat, joined about 100 tenant advocates at a press event outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to demand action on the housing crisis. Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called on the Federal Housing Finance Agency to bolster tenant protections and rent regulations. The People’s […]
Is a rent-to-own housing program working? WA auditor looks for answers
A state-managed program two lawmakers say has failed to help hundreds of families become homeowners as promised is about to get more scrutiny. State Auditor Pat McCarthy said Thursday she ordered a performance audit of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s oversight of a program that is designed to enable eligible low-income renters to own […]
How housing and homelessness ballot initiatives are faring so far in this year’s election
This story was updated at 5 p.m. Friday to reflect the latest results. In local elections around Washington, measures to protect renters are so far receiving mixed support, while initiatives to impose new restrictions on homeless encampments and raise millions of dollars for affordable housing are receiving strong backing from voters. County auditors continue to […]
In parts of Washington, backyard cottages and in-law suites are on the rise
After Laura Craig’s father unexpectedly died in 2020, she and her family began looking at new housing options for her mother. Craig, who lives in Snohomish County, wanted to build an apartment above her family’s garage, but the county at the time did not allow for “accessory dwelling units” of that kind. The regulations were […]
Older adults want to ‘age in place,’ but their options are limited in most states
Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. As older adults begin to outnumber young people in the United States in the coming decade, advocacy groups are challenging states to shift away from single-family zoning in favor of housing solutions that allow older adults to “age […]
Rents in Washington show signs of stabilizing
As apartments built over the past few years open to tenants rent prices across Washington are leveling off, a new analysis of the state’s rental market found. The average apartment rent statewide between July and September was $1,763 – a 0.6% increase over a year earlier, according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research’s […]
Mobile home residents are seizing the opportunity to buy their parks
Mobile home parks are coming up for sale and there are signs that a new law giving residents a chance to buy them is working. Since mid-July, 11 properties have gone on the market in Washington and residents of seven are using tools from the three-month-old law to pursue ownership, the state House Housing Committee […]
How housing and homelessness are shaping local elections across Washington
An expensive mayoral race in Spokane where candidates are fighting over vastly different approaches to solving homelessness. A proposed Seattle levy that could pay for more affordable housing across the city. Ballot initiatives in Tacoma and Bellingham that could protect tenants from steep rent increases and evictions. Housing shortfalls and homelessness hang heavy over this […]
A historic housing construction boom may finally moderate rent hikes
An unprecedented surge in the nationwide construction of new housing — mostly apartments — may finally be making a dent in fast-rising rents that have been making life harder for tenants. More than 1.65 million housing units were under construction last year, the highest annual number since federal record-keeping started in 1969. This year, the […]
How a Montana city with an affordable housing crunch added hundreds of new homes
This article was first published by the Daily Montanan. People who used to be homeless are moving into the Villagio. “We’ve had quite a few who had been living in their cars,” said Mary Melton, with the Missoula Housing Authority. Tenants fleeing rental increases of $500 to $700 a month are finding homes in the […]