Washington state officials get a curb-side view of housing’s cost barriers

High fees, lengthy permitting and regulatory hurdles may strike some as abstractions or overstated, vague residential development industry complaints. In a rare turn, Washington state and local lawmakers boarded a bus on October 1 in the state’s Tri-Cities for an up-close, real-world look at how fees, drawn-out permitting processes, and a quagmire of local red tape can and do stymie efforts to improve local housing supply. The tour, hosted by the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC), Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities, centered on the real-world barriers to expanding housing supply in the Tri-Cities region, home to more than 300,000 people. On the tour, lawmakers got a practical masterclass on the costs of building homes and the ways red tape adds to the overall housing price tag. They also explored potential policy solutions, including urban growth area expansion, use of state-owned land for housing and workforce development to support construction, as well as how housing and economic development are intertwined. The tour drew more than 50 participants, including Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, who told HousingWire TBD...