Bills passed by Democrats that have contributed to our housing crisis

For years, majority party Democrats have talked about the lack of affordable housing in Washington state. However, they have supported policies and passed bills that have directly contributed to our state’s housing availability and affordability crisis. Most of these harmful measures passed in the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions, despite Republican opposition. You can find a list of the bills below.
Statement on housing from Democratic Lt. Gov. Denny Heck on March 10, 2022: “My candor compels me to admit I am disappointed the Legislature did not make more significant progress on one of the most urgent and widespread issues facing Washingtonians: the rapidly rising cost of housing and the lack of housing supply. Washington has the fewest number of housing units per household of any state in the country. This is an embarrassment and an enormous restraint on equitable economic growth in our state.” Read full statement here.
House Republican solutions:
- House Bill 1245 would increase housing options through lot splitting.
- House Bill 1401 would streamline the permitting process for building a variety of home types.
- House Bill 1402 would provide new ways for local governments to welcome more housing development.
More House Republican perspectives on housing:
- Watch: Rep. Andrew Barkis answers questions about a bipartisan housing solution on TVW’s The Impact | January 18, 2023
- Read: WA’s housing crisis requires bold reform. This bill would be transformative (Op-ed from Rep. Andrew Barkis and Rep. Jessica Bateman in The News Tribune on January 10, 2023)
- Read: Rep. Keith Goehner | Affordable housing crisis needs new, real solutions | May 13, 2022
- Watch: Rep. Andrew Barkis | Housing policy has always been a passion and priority | February 4, 2022
- Read: Rep. Andrew Barkis | Addressing our affordable housing crisis | February 4, 2022
Learn more:
- House Republican priorities: Reducing your cost of living and fixing our housing crisis
- House Housing Committee
- Report: Washington should have built 225,600 more homes over past 15 years | Crosscut | January 10, 2020