US EditionNext stop for Washington housing: More construction near transit
- Washington's legislature passed landmark housing bills in 2025 to increase construction near transit statewide.
- These laws respond to a severe housing shortage and affordability crisis that Washington faces more intensely than most states.
- Key legislation includes HB 1491, which sets mixed-income requirements near transit, caps parking for multifamily buildings, and requires special lot splits under HB 1096.
- Governor Ferguson stated that the legislation supports Washington’s objectives for housing availability and environmental sustainability, requiring 10% of housing units near transit stations to be affordable and 20% designated for workforce housing.
- These policies aim to unlock significant new housing capacity, potentially adding billions of square feet near transit and improving affordability over time.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Washington Takes Statewide Zoning Reform to the Next Level
There’s a healthy competition brewing between states that are taking action for housing abundance. But as of May 2025, Washington leads the pack. Its legislature just passed best-in-the-US bills on both parking and transit-oriented development, along with a half-dozen other policies that address the state’s housing shortage and resulting affordability crisis in several critical ways. ... Read more The post Washington Takes Statewide Zoning Ref…
The Columbian
Next stop for Washington housing: More construction near transit
Noticed apartment buildings cropping up next to bus and light rail stations? More could be on the way. Read more...
Next stop for Washington housing: More construction near transit • Washington State Standard
An apartment building under construction in Olympia, Washington in January 2025. (Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)Noticed apartment buildings cropping up next to bus and light rail stations? More could be on the way. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday signed House Bill 1491 into law, setting new state requirements for mixed-income housing development near transit and incentivizing this kind of construction. So-called “transit-oriented de…
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