Jen Masterson, the state's senior capital budget adviser, told the committee the governor's proposal includes $621,000,000 for housing in the capital package.

Housing advocates told the committee that maintaining or increasing trust‑fund and infrastructure allocations is essential to produce new homes and preserve existing affordable units. "This proposal includes a $536,000,000 investment in the Housing Trust Fund that would preserve approximately 1,300 affordable homes and create over 5,000 new affordable homes for low income households in Washington," Rachel Myers, executive director of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, said during remote testimony.

Ryan Donahue of Habitat for Humanity Seattle King and Kittitas Counties told the committee the housing trust fund is one of the few reliable state sources for affordable homeownership and urged the Legislature to restore prior funding levels. Melissa Johnson, representing the Community Residential Services Association, supported the governor's inclusion of $50,000,000 in the capital budget for housing targeted to people with developmental disabilities and said providers are operating with lengthy waiting lists.

Other testimony highlighted complementary infrastructure needs: Mary Connolly of South Sound Housing Affordability Partners sought a $15,000,000 loan program at the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to support infrastructure improvements in resident‑owned manufactured home communities, noting an earlier request for $5,000,000 in the governor's proposal.

Why it matters: capital housing funds both build and reduce the cost of affordable homes and are often required to match federal programs; reductions or shifts in capital funding can affect project feasibility.

Committee members did not take a vote in the hearing. Advocates asked committee budget writers to consider restoring or increasing housing trust fund and related infrastructure amounts during negotiations.

Provenance: testimony and OFM presentation on housing allocation.