WashingtonWashington cities must allow homes in many commercial zones
Cities and counties covered by the law must allow homes in commercial zones and limit when they can require shops as part of housing approval.
What it does
Covered cities and counties must allow homes in commercial and mixed-use zones, with exceptions for certain industrial, shoreline, historic, and environmentally protected areas.
Cities and counties may require ground-floor shops or mixed-use buildings for housing approval on no more than 40 percent of covered areas. They may not require them for publicly subsidized affordable housing in those areas.
Applicants may ask cities and counties to reduce or waive ground-floor shop rules. Reviewers must consider the project and how many homes the request would add.
Argument forAllowing homes on more commercial sites could give cities and counties another place to add housing.
Argument againstSome neighborhoods could have fewer required ground-floor shops, leaving less space set aside for nearby services.
More detail
Covered cities and counties must allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones. It applies to cities with at least 30,000 people and to counties covered by the state’s growth-management planning law, except rural counties. The rule has exceptions for industrial areas, some refinery and historic sites, certain areas outside urban growth areas, shoreline areas, and critical areas. A detached single-family home may be allowed in a critical aquifer recharge area if it meets requirements to protect aquifer recharge. The state rule takes effect in a city or county that has not adopted the required local rules within 18 months after June 11, 2026.
Covered cities and counties may not require ground-floor shops or mixed-use buildings as a condition of housing approval in more than 40 percent of the acreage in covered commercial and mixed-use areas. These limits apply to the same cities and counties covered by the residential-use rule. For publicly subsidized affordable housing, local governments may not require ground-floor shops or mixed-use buildings in the covered areas. The 40 percent limit excludes listed areas, including station areas, areas allowing buildings of at least 85 feet, and certain industrial or environmentally protected areas. The law preserves local efforts to ensure grocery-store access. If a city or county has not adopted the required local rules within 18 months after June 11, 2026, it may not impose these requirements in covered areas until it complies.
Covered cities and counties must provide a process for applicants to request a reduction or waiver of ground-floor shop rules. Applicants may use the process to request relief from local rules for ground-floor commercial or retail space. Reviewers must consider the project and how many homes the change would add; they may consider other factors too. A city or county with a process in place before June 11, 2026, does not need to create a new one. Cities and counties must provide the process, unless they had a qualifying process in place before June 11, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 27Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 27Chapter 236, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 27Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 12Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 11Speaker signed.Major
- Mar 11President signed.Passed House
- Mar 10Passed final passage; yeas, 35; nays, 14; absent, 0; excused, 0.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the House (#7). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 10Senate concurred in House amendments.
- Mar 5Third reading, passed; yeas, 69; nays, 27; absent, 0; excused, 2.Minor
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the House (#8). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 5Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 5Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.
- Mar 4Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Mar 2Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Mar 2Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Mar 2Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Mar 2APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) but without amendment(s) by Local Government.Minor
- Mar 2Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 27Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 25Referred to Appropriations.Minor
- Feb 25Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 25LG - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).Minor
- Feb 25Executive action taken in the House Committee on Local Government at 8:00 AM.
- Feb 20Public hearing in the House Committee on Local Government at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 17First reading, referred to Local Government.Minor
- Feb 13Third reading, passed; yeas, 36; nays, 12; absent, 0; excused, 1.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#6). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 13Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 13Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- Feb 132nd substitute bill substituted (WM 26).Major
- Feb 10Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Feb 9Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Feb 9Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 9WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Feb 9Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 5Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 29Referred to Ways & Means.Minor
- Jan 28Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Jan 28And refer to Ways & Means.Minor
- Jan 28HSG - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Jan 28Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Housing at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 16Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 12First reading, referred to Housing.Minor
- Jan 7Prefiled for introduction.Introduced
Housing