Bill to allow more housing near bus stops and rail stations progresses in Olympia

It may be easier for Washington state residents to find an affordable home within walking distance of good transit in the future.

A “transit-oriented development” bill has made it halfway through the Legislature, on its long path to becoming law.

House Bill 1491 would allow five- to six-story apartment buildings with no parking spaces around light rail stations and bus rapid transit stops.

“We don’t have enough homes in the state," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Julia Reed (D-Seattle). "We don’t have enough for people who can afford to buy into the market. We don’t have enough for people who need subsidized housing, and we don’t have enough near the transit assets that the state invests hundreds of millions of dollars in each year.”

This is the third time legislators have tried to pass this bill.

This first version failed in 2023 because it did not require affordable housing. Affordability was optional.

The second version failed because it didn't offer developers enough incentives, leading to questions of whether it could backfire, actually discouraging development around transit. Complicated questions like that tanked its chances during 2024's short legislative session.

This year's bill includes a compromise: there's some affordable housing required in every project, and developers get a 20-year tax break on the property to offset those costs.

Some critics cast doubt on whether that would be enough.

“We’re concerned with some of the low-income numbers, that builders are just gonna be turned off, that they’re gonna take those dollars and build other types of projects," said Morgan Irwin, who represents the Association of Washington Businesses.

"Otherwise, it’s a fantastic idea,” he added.

Having now passed the House of Representatives, House Bill 1491 now heads to the Senate housing committee.