University of Washington: A Resilient Future Starts Here. Online Master of Infrastructure Management and Planning. Apply Now.

ADUs

Op-Ed: Excessive Water Hook-up Fees Stunt Seattle’s ADU Building Boom

Seattle Public Utilities is using “No Tap” water mains to extort homebuilders for system upgrades. The gauntlet created by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) for access...
a path between two townhouses with evergreen trees

Bellevue Initiates Middle Housing Planning, but State May Beat Them to It

With a unanimous vote to conclude Tuesday's meeting, Bellevue City Council initiated planning work that would allow middle housing -- such as accessory dwelling...

How to Crush a Housing Project The Seattle Way

One saga demonstrates the difficulties developers face in getting infill projects permitted, even after reforms meant to encourage them. The City of Seattle permitting process...

Legislature Passes Sound Transit Enhanced Funding Bill, but Fails to Lift Backyard Cottage Ban

Another set of bills died Friday as another legislative cutoff passed, but a bill boosting Sound Transit funding options was not among them. Senate...

PSRC Housing Strategy Seeks to Galvanize Region to Action

In July, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) released their draft three-pronged Regional Housing Strategy (RHS). The strategy is to be a collection of...
Backyard cottages like this one should be coming to Burien thanks to the City's new reform. (Photo by Doug Trumm)

Governor Partially Vetoes Backyard Cottage Bill at Request of Housing Advocates, AARP

Providing more housing options in single-family zones is a policy idea that state legislators have kicked around for years. This session, the Washington State...
Bird's eye view of downtown Bremerton with the marina and some midrise buildings in the foreground.

Bremerton Eases Backyard Cottage Restrictions

Bremerton is allowing an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on every single-family lot and waiving parking and owner-occupancy requirements. The City tabled a measure to...

Kenmore and Kirkland Reform Accessory Dwelling Regulations, Snohomish County Could Be Next

Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform has been taking off across the Puget Sound region. Seattle, Tacoma, and Burien all approved sweeping changes to ADUs...