Three ways how Washington state is addressing housing affordability | In Focus

"Washington state is experiencing a housing affordability crisis. Many communities across the state are in need of more housing for renters across the income spectrum" (RCW36.70A.680).

This statement, placed into law, has its roots in the 2007-2008 financial meltdown which we have not yet solved. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has noted that the U.S. has underproduced apartments since 2007 while allowing for the construction of large houses. Getting caught up has been very difficult. The Federal Reserve is in the process of decreasing interest rates to make home buying easier. This is a very hot issue in Washington D.C. right now with the president wanting to drop interest rates quicker to pump up the economy while the Fed governors are worried about increasing inflation in the process, and then the decline of job growth.

The Washington State Legislature has made changes to end the housing crisis in three ways.

1) Allowing the creation of accessory dwelling units (A.D.U.s), better known as "mother-in-law housing".

Note this regulation from the same Revised Code of Washington: "Any action taken by a city or county to comply with the requirements of this section or RCW 36.70A.681 is not subject to legal challenge (my emphasis) under this chapter or chapter 43.21C RCW." There have been a number of other laws passed by the state legislature to increase housing due to shortages, especially affordable housing.

2) Speeding up the process. The state has diminished the role of municipal design review boards to one meeting per building permit. It sometimes takes a year from submitting building plans to the actual start of construction. In our town, the new procedure goes from the preliminary plat to the planning commission to a hearing and then a vote by the Enumclaw City Council.

According to a city source, the last time an apartment building was constructed in Enumclaw was in 2023. Before that, the last time was in the 1990s. Today, the median house price in Enumclaw as of November 2025 is $562,500, down 6.3% year-over-year according to redfin.com. Housing prices are dropping.

3) Requiring conditions to be met in the construction of these apartments: The law sets up regulations for "co-living units" in new apartment buildings. A co-living unit is one where there is one kitchen for 30 units. Another way of thinking of these apartments is a dormitory where residents have enough space to sleep and have a bathroom.

Some of those units are required to be set aside for the poor. They will be charged between 0-30% of that number and the rest subsidized so renters could live for free if they have no income.

For those who are in the "middle housing" category in income, their rent in an apartment will be set at 80% of $157,100. That means a studio apartment rents for $2120/month, while a single bedroom apartment costs $2272, and a two-bedroom costs $2726/month.

Townhouses are scheduled to be constructed to the west of the Enumclaw Seventh Day Adventist church on the other side of Griffin Avenue. All of these state regulations will need to be followed.

The state is using these methods to increase affordable housing and cut down on homelessness.

Conservative critics point out that the state's standard for the poor has driven up the cost of housing. As an example, air conditioning is required. This drives up the price of the housing units and raises the price of construction. So do regulations about curbing and sidewalks. Another conservative complaint is that there wasn't enough input sought from neighbors who will live next to the low-income apartments.

Over 70 Enumclaw residents of homes that will be abutting these new apartments spoke up at two council meetings expressing concerns about how close these apartments will be to their single-family homes. Concerns about traffic, noise, and lights were also voiced. Some of these issues have been mitigated by the decision to build garages between the apartments and the single-family homes. This would expand the separation and ensure a greater measure of privacy to the single-home families next door. This recently-passed ordinance #2815 is now under appeal.

Fact: "Washington state is experiencing a housing affordability crisis. Many communities across state are in need of more housing for renters across the income spectrum" (RCW36.70A.680).

Whatever your views about the current state-controlled legislature or your level of concern for homelessness, the state has acted to solve the housing problem. Whether these solutions will actually work remains to be seen.