Visit MBAKS Connect for our full analysis of Seattle’s updated Comprehensive Plan.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Seattle City Council adopted its updated Comprehensive Plan, a key requirement of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) that sets the city’s 20-year vision. The plan will guide local decisions related to housing, land use, and other priorities to align with Seattle’s long-term goals and community values.

A key update in the Comprehensive Plan is its alignment with House Bill 1110, enacted by the State Legislature more than two years ago. HB 1110 requires local jurisdictions to allow for a broader spectrum of housing choices, including duplexes, townhomes, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing. The law allows for a minimum of four housing units on all residential lots, and at least six on all residential lots within a quarter mile of major transit. By reducing barriers to housing production near jobs and transit, HB 1110 advances the core principles of GMA while maintaining protections for environmentally sensitive and open spaces.

“Seattle’s adoption of its updated Comprehensive Plan means that the city has taken a major step forward in addressing the housing shortage placing homes out of reach for so many,” said Jerry Hall, executive director of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). “We commend Seattle for lowering many barriers to housing choices in the city even as we look ahead to persistent challenges that still exist in the work to make housing more attainable for all. MBAKS will continue to focus on offering our expertise regarding how best to facilitate more housing that is attainable for current residents, newcomers, and future generations.”

Reducing Barriers to Housing in Seattle’s Updated Comprehensive Plan

Seattle’s updated Comprehensive Plan removes several long-standing obstacles to housing production and allows for more efficient use of the city’s buildable land. Notably, the plan:

• Invests in accessory dwelling units as a popular housing option.
• Improves use of limited buildable land for housing.
• Addresses the need for housing and trees. 

Persistent Barriers to Housing Options in Seattle’s Updated Comprehensive Plan

Unfortunately, Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan preserves barriers that will continue to drive up the cost of housing for both renters and homeowners.

Under the plan, Seattle’s Department of Construction & Inspections would retain broad subjective discretion when reviewing new housing proposals related to tree canopy management. MBAKS supports the shared goal of maintaining a healthy urban tree canopy but strongly prefers a clearly defined, objective policy framework that provides transparency, predictability, and timely review for applicants.

The plan also relies on arbitrary minimum tree-per-square foot requirements, which further restrict already limited buildable land. These requirements increase the single greatest cost barrier for new housing: the price of land without demonstratable environmental benefit. Homebuilders are already subject to strict regulations that oversee new construction so that our water, air, and soil are appropriately protected. Homebuilders also routinely plant more trees during construction than are removed.

MBAKS members demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship by partnering with local jurisdictions through the association’s Planting a Better Tomorrow event.

“While other barriers to housing remain, MBAKS will continue to advocate for policies and partnerships needed to expand Seattle’s housing supply, ensuring everyone has a place to call home,” said Logan Schmidt, MBAKS’s Seattle Government Affairs Manager.

Visit MBAKS Connect for our full analysis of Seattle’s updated Comprehensive Plan.

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Housing Choices Toolkit Released to Assist With Local Planning

Toolkit offers proven policies to help create more housing choices so current residents, newcomers, and future generations can find a home that best fits their lives

BELLEVUE, Wash—August 19, 2020—Today, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) released a toolkit designed to help local communities create more housing choices.

As the Puget Sound region advances its collective response to the health, economic, and social crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic, those in the local homebuilding industry stand with their fellow community members. In creating and distributing this Housing Toolkit, MBAKS continues its collaborative approach to encourage the creation of more housing and more variety.

“Our region has for years been grappling with a housing crisis, and the pandemic and related economic crisis have significantly amplified the need for solutions that create more diverse and affordable housing choices for all,” said MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims.

“We are often asked by local governments and community leaders for actionable ideas and solutions to plan for and enable more housing choices that fit the unique needs of each community. We are providing this toolkit in a spirit of partnership so cities and counties may more easily find a spectrum of proven housing policies and see which of their neighboring communities are already implementing these ideas.”

The MBAKS Housing Toolkit contains 37 specific code updates and process improvements jurisdictions can take to help provide more diverse, more affordable housing for our growing population. The toolkit is intended to serve the unique local needs of individual communities, help protect what current residents already love about our region and support the broader regional effort to plan for more housing choices.

Regulations and long permit timelines can create significant obstacles for those seeking housing by driving up costs and pushing new homes even further out of reach for many buyers and renters. There are, however, simple steps cities and counties can take today to help ease some of these regulatory burdens and reduce certain cost pressures on new housing without compromising environmental protections or other important policy goals.

All the tools featured in the toolkit can be adopted locally. None of them require state-enabling legislation. Included throughout the toolkit are examples of local jurisdictions already utilizing these tools and model codes that cities can reference. Some examples include policies that support accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single-family zones, reduced parking requirements near transit, planning tools that facilitate infill development, video inspections, more transparency in permit timeline data, Built Green incentives, and affordable housing levies.

The MBAKS Housing Toolkit also includes a chart indicating the effectiveness of each measure to facilitate housing.

View the Housing Toolkit

About MBAKS

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability and from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive, and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

This week, Shannon talks to Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher about our annual (free!) Housing Summit, where we'll be discussing housing attainability solutions and revealing our 10-point legislative agenda.

Register now