[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6329733,"mediaKeyId","2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69","parentId",2315661,"title","Committee hears bill to let more Washington counties use multifamily tax exemption to spur housing in UGAs","audioSeconds",2177,"startMs",582000,"endMs",2759000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69&start=582&end=2759","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69/thumbnail_582000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6329733/Washington/Committee-hears-bill-to-let-more-Washington-counties-use-multifamily-tax-exemption-to-spur-housing-in-UGAs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329733-a9fa7296fa3ba387e8857ad39886aa78/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945388&Signature=jYhm3ZB8V5EiqUye5lIU6v6tp0BL-fnKU9tQ1SD5A8-EIQ7YgX9zEopCKP9z-grzPNUbRVt-M2z6ZjY0C8g9TEogPQ0XzGsnIAl29t0cm4zPcyskq7Nib2p7hwlnQREfQyzVjaHWL~1KPqzfqqT7DyfXgk8HTox8Kz4V7Z4pMuIyIJK6Q3wcCdUXATlx~Y5LxBcPpv9OFGkbQaro8w4~o6TVFVxZwCKzFomeisPIdFDvjMSe7w4dyiECJiG66xAQZBoX6VpEQwkd0mzbpbb5GrkZkGZp3-iy-OL4SVlikcUqkjKYgn0o2ywaUYCGSN6nFUk-5Cvuamtu-au~W9E48w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Labor & Commerce","date","2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Housing Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5,679, which would let any county that plans under the Growth Management Act (GMA) offer the multifamily property tax exemption (MFTE) for qualified projects in unincorporated urban growth areas.

Melissa Van Gorkum, committee staff, summarized the bill and the current MFTE program. Under current statute, MFTE is available to qualifying cities and to certain counties that meet particular conditions (rural county with sewer or county with a higher‑education campus and student population thresholds). The bill removes those narrow county‑only requirements but keeps the condition that the exemption applies only to projects inside an unincorporated area of a county’s urban growth area (UGA). Van Gorkum told the committee Commerce’s fiscal note estimates a $36,000 biennial impact to the agency and an indeterminate fiscal impact to local governments based on county take‑up.

Senator Perry Dozier, the prime sponsor and a former county commissioner, said the change would give counties tools to support mixed‑use and multifamily housing near jobs and services. “By being able to expand this throughout these unincorporated parts of our smaller counties, I think is going to open up the door for quite a bit more growth,” Dozier said, pointing to past projects in Walla Walla as examples.

County and development interests testified in strong support. Tom McBride of Kitsap County said the current transit‑service requirement in existing law is so strict that Kitsap cannot qualify today and that removing that requirement would allow places such as Silverdale to use MFTE to spur workforce housing near hospitals and bases. Anthony Hempstead, a multifamily developer, said MFTE often determines whether a project “pencils out” and that expanding the program to eligible counties would lead to new starts in areas that currently can’t access the tool.

Supporters emphasized limits in the bill: MFTE would remain confined to UGAs and to areas with sufficient services. Kitsap and Jefferson county officials said MFTE would complement wastewater and sewer investments already underway that would enable denser development.

Opponents and questioning legislators raised concerns about sprawl, transit connectivity and revenue effects. Senator Palumbo Alvarado asked staff whether tax exemptions shift tax burdens; staff noted the Department of Revenue’s fiscal note indicates a likely tax shift to other taxpayers depending on participation. Environmental and planning advocates such as Bryce Yaden of Futurewise opposed broadening MFTE without guardrails, saying the exemption’s original purpose was to encourage dense development in places with transit and services and that expanding it could trade transportation costs for lower housing costs. The Washington State Association of Counties and several county commissioners said they support retaining requirements tied to adequate water and sewer and are open to refining transit language to avoid unintended consequences.

No committee action was taken; proponents and opponents indicated possible paths to compromise on transit and service requirements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Labor & Commerce - 2/14/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Housing Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5,679, which would let any county that plans under the Growth Management Act offer the multifamily property tax exemption for qualified projects in unincorporated urban growth areas.","taxTitle","Labor & Commerce, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20507,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329738,"Senate bill would expand foreclosure mediation to condo/HOA owners and add $80 loan origination fee to fund program",386,2833000,3219000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69&start=2833&end=3219","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69/thumbnail_2833000.jpg","/articles/6329738/Washington/Senate-bill-would-expand-foreclosure-mediation-to-condoHOA-owners-and-add-80-loan-origination-fee-to-fund-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329738-02923237c067d7fa449c01e1d9512576/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945388&Signature=Jb~2vR84BSHFjMKlUPmhib8jN8pELtYAooTRrHERxHG2x7k8jB7nQOPXDfX3s3dXhKMFhG7MXiEqKpgkyQa6jsoB1fcC7~Om3-AM4wD-0kKhjsLq1d7L1gI7YFoMNYoPFWyo1P9wuLqklDHpUSXjF2ichnL3n9FWrDypeEpc7TzLf0JHtpz4SZn~IVAdofuNvmsX7b1O3hqUsOa2y3Inas-hDPa5wxzVEIcqDiuYP0CrEjCISy2iI64e54F8wqeZI7FRsbTJ4U3V7WnBLdWnszFY9BCmBooB5nTTVlTRVgqqJp6g91zh0C86WqqotkiURa17~4fxE3ySZEXgg3LYog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Housing Committee on Feb. 14 heard testimony on Senate Bill 5,686, which would expand Washington’s Foreclosure Fairness Program to allow unit owners in condominiums and homeowner associations to be referred for mediation and would create a new $80 foreclosure prevention fee assessed at mortgage origination to fund the program.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Emily Orwall, said the measure responds to gaps in the existing program and shortfalls in federal funding. “When I first ran for the legislature it was during the great recession … we didn't really have a system in place to support homeowners,” Senator Orwall said, describing mediation as a core piece of the program that has helped thousands of Washington homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Under the bill, the Department of Commerce would add reporting specific to unit owners and associations, and the fee—charged at loan closing—may be financed into the loan or paid in cash. Commerce staff told the committee the bill would change the distribution of the foreclosure fairness account: 50% to housing counseling, 8% to the attorney general, 16.5% to the Office of Civil Legal Aid, 15% to the foreclosure prevention hotline, 0.5% for outreach, and 10% to Commerce for program administration.

Department of Commerce program manager Kyle Young told the committee the program provides mediation intake, recruiting and assignment of mediators and tracks outcomes. He said the mediation program has received more than 13,000 referrals since 2011 and that the program’s total costs are about $8 million per fiscal year; the current default-notice fee generates about $1 million annually. Commerce’s fiscal estimate indicates the proposed origination fee could generate roughly $7 million per year.

Advocates and service providers testified in support, saying the additional funding and inclusion of unit owners would preserve access to counseling, legal aid and mediation. Denise Rodriguez of the Washington Homeownership Resource Center described the hotline as “the single point of entry for struggling homeowners” and said the centralized system streamlines referrals to counseling and legal services. Representatives of the Northwest Justice Project and the Northwest Consumer Law Center said the change would help keep low-income homeowners and communities of color in their homes.

The Attorney General’s Office supported the bill, saying the new fee would “ensure the good work” of foreclosure prevention services continues. Parkview Services and other nonprofit housing counselors described client outcomes and urged sustainable funding.

Several stakeholders in the mediation process urged careful drafting of the substitute language. Jeff Bean, a private foreclosure mediator, warned that proposed document‑sharing and confidentiality changes in the original draft could impede referral and make mediation less workable for private mediators. The Community Association Institute sought narrower referral timeframes and raised concerns about in‑person mediation requirements that they said could raise collection costs for associations.

Committee staff and stakeholders said substitute language was in progress to address technical concerns raised by mediators and industry groups. No vote was taken; the bill remained in public hearing at the close of testimony.

If enacted, the bill would broaden who may be referred to mediation and create a new, recurring revenue source for the foreclosure fairness account to support counseling, legal aid, mediation and outreach.","The Senate Housing Committee heard testimony on SB 5,686 to expand Washington's foreclosure mediation program to unit owners in common-interest communities and create an $80 foreclosure prevention fee at mortgage origination to increase funding for counseling, legal aid and mediation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329724,"Executive session: committee adopts substitutes and sends three housing bills to Ways & Means",296,4608000,4904000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69&start=4608&end=4904","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69/thumbnail_4608000.jpg","/articles/6329724/Washington/Executive-session-committee-adopts-substitutes-and-sends-three-housing-bills-to-Ways-Means","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329724-228c67c0bde525c3976cd03ce436d394/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945388&Signature=EY1kBGIcd5FmqT~-NEPynpAL2bg2FSvSgtZXnRnun5i4Q9~G4F1ZxKc9qhAqThPFgS5Al3SIXg1BAW3LFy4C~YwXHGGHyLI2Fm7rnR-Sg~upJvfAuiEJPkFkZXzyNjnObRwBbCwcOYNI7YaMueXOxAy851383Tbh-EAYl5vZeuQXh7eI7uurceySn0JqRIKPc4msWNuCM2sWZdjlLvCtPtm8NqOcAEcIVhW8GCIQON9ZZ5E~lxx0gXYW6QF~eW~toPzWNSGzu2LkctMOF7ZmGS0qcK1f5EjQJCE7fRYAU5TAsffWP9erqzRVpHy-FYP6BKlWJ1EuQkQbEhfzprX11Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the Feb. 14 executive session the Senate Housing Committee took formal actions on three bills and sent each to the Ways and Means Committee with due‑pass recommendations.

- SB 5,469: Committee adopted Proposed Substitute A (sponsor: Senator Solomon) that narrowed the bill’s reach to avoid capturing public rent‑estimate products and added a private right of action; the committee then moved a due pass recommendation to Ways & Means. Committee discussion referenced concerns from online listing services and the desire to reduce the attorney general’s sole enforcement role.

- SB 5,580: Committee moved that the bill receive a due‑pass recommendation and be sent to the Ways & Means Committee. The bill would create a corporate homeowner registration program and require registration by entities owning 20 or more housing units in the state; a fiscal note is available.

- SB 5,587: Committee adopted Proposed Substitute B (sponsor: Senator Bateman) which removed a provision prohibiting denial of affordable housing developments and refocused the bill on research measuring housing gaps by income bands and prioritization of infill development for the public works board; the substitute received a due‑pass recommendation to Ways & Means.

Votes were taken by voice; the committee record in the transcript shows adoption and due‑pass motions and that each measure passed “subject to signatures.” The transcript did not record roll‑call tallies or individual member votes.","In executive session the Senate Housing Committee adopted substitutes and recommended due pass to Ways & Means for three bills: SB 5,469 (algorithmic rental pricing substitute A), SB 5,580 (corporate homeowner registration), and SB 5,587 (biennial housing report substitute B).",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329729,"Bill to create landlord‑tenant task force and freeze local tenant ordinances draws mixed reaction",4480,340000,4820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69&start=340&end=4820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315661-38dcf2128a7d64f1af6c97c967debe69/thumbnail_340000.jpg","/articles/6329729/Washington/Bill-to-create-landlordtenant-task-force-and-freeze-local-tenant-ordinances-draws-mixed-reaction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329729-f625a399729b156f2c5a302a39d0a308/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945388&Signature=Ms4hmUHSp5wi6Onbh4rvzX~gMrT2gumpI0QPGSK7OgvuVFN9J~yH7kaY41LOcV~EiR8tBt6CnpZTssLrsoYApSNaxoQZGmbf30IcKvBe1rm2kh~-LxScYXRZfRtGEloDu8E9rZNvTPNEcYgTffgqKfD20EpFO59DD6yvAegTO9567pO3s6pcL1XzwwWgV4q96sUbCNPfJ2E1M5M3rTY4BkqSb5Fiw2Wa8DB9gyOghU3poLmzKlVr62JbJhRORQ1PFIKoZjVhaOfElAgiz1wV0bSXxe7IWAdliY-6pRbwDC0iXCfkQHtQUt1qpIZXF4lGiS5u0SoqdiNwfm72ZW5vig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5,678, which would create a 17‑member task force to study the Residential Landlord‑Tenant Act (RLTA) and impose a 36‑month moratorium on new local ordinances regulating landlord‑tenant relations, drew sharply divided testimony in the Senate Housing Committee.

Bill Fosbury, committee staff, briefed members that the task force would include two senators, two representatives and 13 members from housing providers, tenant legal aid, tenant organizations representing historically underserved populations, public housing authorities, the Association of Washington Cities, the Superior Court Judges Association and the Department of Commerce. The task force would report recommendations by July 1, 2027, and the moratorium would prohibit counties, cities and towns from enacting new ordinances regulating the landlord‑tenant relationship for 36 months.

Prime sponsor Senator Billig Dozier said the intent is to examine the “both sides of the coin” — tenants and landlords — and seek balanced, evidence‑based changes. “I think this task force can address both sides of that coin that I talk about to look at benefits for both tenants and landlords,” Dozier said.

Proponents — including the Rental Housing Association, multifamily housing interests and small landlords — told the committee the moratorium would create regulatory stability while a broad stakeholder group reviews and proposes updates. Carter Nelson of the Washington Multifamily Housing Association said the task force would advance “evidence‑based policy solutions” and reduce inconsistent local regulations.

Opponents described the moratorium as an overbroad preemption of local authority. Sarah Nagy of Columbia Legal Services said local ordinances provide health and habitability protections RLTA does not and said a three‑year freeze would “prevent [jurisdictions] from managing the particular impacts of the rental markets within their borders.” The Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness warned the moratorium would hinder local responses tailored to urban homelessness.

Critics also objected to the task force composition and said an unelected body should not have the practical effect of blocking local rulemaking. Several local officials and tenant advocates urged that local governments must be able to pass targeted protections — for example, to preserve manufactured‑housing communities or address local inspection and habitability needs.

Committee members questioned whether a moratorium would delay urgent protections and asked whether major recent statewide reforms should be allowed time to take effect. Supporters replied that many recent laws need operational time to be evaluated and that collaboration among stakeholders would produce better long‑term outcomes.

No committee vote occurred. Testimony made clear the issue remains politically fraught and that whether the committee advances a moratorium tied to a task force will hinge on further negotiation over membership, scope and exceptions for local health and safety measures.","SB 5,678 would form a 17‑member task force to study the Residential Landlord Tenant Act and impose a 36‑month moratorium on new local landlord‑tenant rules. Industry groups backed the bill’s collaborative review; tenant advocates, cities and legal aid groups opposed the moratorium and warned it would strip local protections.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill to let more Washington counties use multifamily tax exemption to spur housing in UGAs

Senate bill would expand foreclosure mediation to condo/HOA owners and add $80 loan origination fee to fund program

Executive session: committee adopts substitutes and sends three housing bills to Ways & Means

Bill to create landlord‑tenant task force and freeze local tenant ordinances draws mixed reaction