Inclusionary Zoning

Kenmore is considering a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy that would not be paired with funding or incentives — passing affordability costs onto homebuilders. But, in a shift away from the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the City Council directed staff to draft a policy that would encourage smaller, more affordable homes while requiring larger (typically pricier) new homes to include affordable units or pay a fee. 

Inside the complicated calculations that determine if affordable housing gets built on King County’s Eastside and how A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) finds itself in the middle of it all.

Three years in the making, HB 1491 would require Washington cities to zone for apartment buildings near rail stations and rapid bus stops. A compromise around housing affordability mandates finally paved the way for the bill's passage in both chambers.

After considering a full halt on multifamily development, tourist-focused Woodinville is set to add a 10% affordable housing requirement months ahead of a full analysis of potential affordability programs. Whether it's an earnest attempt at boosting affordability or a proxy for a building moratorium is anybody's guess at this point.

The vision that Bellevue has for parking-dominated Wilburton is thousands of new homes close to transit and trail connections. The question now is getting the details right so that development can be fostered, rather than stifled.

House Bill 1491 would require cities to increase development capacity around train stations and bus rapid transit stops. But a contentious affordability requirement for that new development could be a sticking point.

In response to state law, Mercer Island is poised to upzone some of the blocks closest to transit. But new affordability mandates may negate the move.

Originally hatched as a subtler method to promote racial segregation, zoning ended up planting the seeds of our present day housing crisis. This Zoning 101 guide delves into how that history unfolded.