Legislative priorities

Press Pause on Energy Code Escalation

• Washington is already leading the country when it comes to reducing energy-use in residential buildings. Source.

• Nearly $40,000 has been added to the cost of a new home since 2009, primarily driven by the energy code. Source.

• New code requirements add cost and complexity while delivering diminishing returns for homebuyers; the question isn't whether we support efficiency. It's whether working families can afford the next mandate.

• Use a six-year energy code pause to strengthen SBCC expertise, improve staff capacity, and develop a more rigorous process for evaluating housing costs and feasibility impacts.

Unlock Land and Infrastructure to House Washingtonians

• Protect housing capacity inside Urban Growth Areas with a clear "no net loss" standard.

• Allow UGA expansions or modifications where housing shortages exist and infrastructure is already available.

• Increase the short plat threshold from 9 lots to 30 lots to encourage more condo and cottage construction.

• Standardize street, frontage, and development requirements across jurisdictions to reduce delays and unnecessary costs.

Create the Certainty Needed to Build New Homes

• Cap and standardize impact fees and utility connection fees statewide.

• Clarify that state agencies advise while local governments make final permitting decisions.

• Establish clear and objective permitting standards statewide, so applicants are evaluated against adopted laws and rules, not individual interpretations or preferences.