Upzoning

The progress of the upzoning bills represents a notable shift for a policy that once seemed untouchable, especially in local politics. The proposals are gaining traction as housing prices skyrocket, inventory of homes for sale hits rock bottom and more people become aware of the history of housing segregation. In recent years, California and Oregon have passed statewide legislation to allow more density. – Heidi Groover

Navigating state bills can be difficult to follow, especially with finding the differences and similarities between SB 5670 and HB 1782. Both of the bills address “the missing middle” via rezoning or “upzoning” single-family homes into multi-family homes. They differ in the specifics such as size of the city, square footage of land, and certain requirements around public transit. Heidi Groover of The Seattle Times does a great job comparing the two bills in a simple breakdown that’s straightforward to understand.

Read her article here.