This month: Looking ahead, updated housing guidance, climate grants to reopen



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Dec. 15, 2025
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Planners’ Monthly Newsletter – December 2025

*This month: Looking ahead, updated housing guidance, climate grants to reopen*

2025 was a successful year for our work

The end of the year invites us to reflect on all we accomplished in 2025 and to look forward to the important work that awaits us in the new year.

This year was defined by the passage of significant new legislation aimed at increasing housing supply and progress to meet increasing demand for programs and tools that support comprehensive planning.

We especially want to recognize the hard work of jurisdictions whose comprehensive plan updates are due in just two weeks and congratulate them on reaching that important milestone.

I also want to spotlight the efforts of the Commerce Growth Management Services team, which has worked diligently over the last year to develop new guidance, tools and processes. We head into 2026 better equipped to support local government than ever before.  

*Reflecting on 2025*


* The launch of the Washington State Zoning Atlas [ [link removed] ] marked a significant step forward for planners and anyone seeking to better understand how zoning shapes our communities. For the first time, we can easily compare zones across jurisdictions. We look forward to seeing the innovative ways that this powerful tool will be used.
* Development of the Plan Together, Grow Together toolkit [ [link removed] ] started from the ground up to provide practical tools and strategies for community organizations to engage the public in the comprehensive planning process.
* We made significant strides in supporting housing. The Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program [ [link removed] ] and Multifamily Tax Exemption Program [ [link removed] ] each had their most impactful years yet. We also concluded a two-year process to update the Washington Administrative Code to reflect a range of housing legislation passed in recent years.

*Looking ahead to 2026*


* We look forward to supporting the Legislature to address challenges and opportunities related to growth management and infrastructure.
* We are excited to publish the first significant updates to our Capital Facilities, Rural Lands and Urban Growth Area guidance in more than 10 years.
* As ever, we will continue to provide high-quality technical assistance to local governments as we all work together to adopt and implement new legislation to strengthen our communities.

As the year closes, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on all the significant work you have accomplished in 2025. We wish you all a happy and restful holiday season and look forward to working with you in the new year.

Dave Andersen

Sincerely,

*Dave Andersen*, Managing Director Growth Management Services



*Housing updates*

Housing Accountability Act: Selection criteria, checklists published

The Housing Accountability Act (HAA) [ [link removed] ] provides both a voluntary and a selected review process to help ensure local housing elements comply with state law.

The selected review process allows Commerce to select 10 cities or counties a year for review and technical assistance. If a jurisdiction’s housing element and regulations are found to be inconsistent with state law, the jurisdiction:


* Must work with Commerce to make changes
* May not deny affordable or moderate-income housing development
* May be ineligible for certain state infrastructure grants and loans

The Final Selected Review Criteria and Procedures document [ [link removed] ] is published on the Updating GMA Housing Elements webpage [ [link removed] ]. This document will be used to select jurisdictions by the end of 2025 and in each subsequent year for selected review and technical assistance.

Commerce has published two checklists for local governments to use to ensure consistency with state law:


* Updated Expanded Housing Element Checklist (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* New HAA Development Regulations Checklist (PDF) [ [link removed] ]

Please contact Laura Hodgson at [email protected] with questions.

Webinar: Preemptive housing laws for permit managers

Commerce will host an informational webinar for jurisdictions whose local housing regulations were preempted by state law at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 22.

Register for the webinar. [ [link removed] ]

This session will provide guidance on:


* Preemption requirements and timelines
* Common questions and best practices
* Processing permits in preempted jurisdictions

Refer to Commerce’s preemption fact sheet [ [link removed] ] for specific information on preemptive housing laws.

 

Transit-Oriented Development guidance coming in 2026

Commerce has engaged ECOnorthwest to develop guidance on implementing Chapter 267, Laws of 2025 (HB 1491) [ [link removed] ], promoting transit-oriented housing development. 

We expect to publish model codes for rail station area, bus rapid transit areas and parking by the end of 2026.  The project manager is Lilith Vespier, [email protected].

 

Join new workgroup for residential parking guidance

Commerce is developing residential parking guidance addressing statutory requirements and parking management standards. This work will be supported by a consultant and a broad stakeholder group. If you are interested in participating, please contact project manager Hannah Johnston at [email protected].

 

We’re hiring!

The Housing Policy Team in Growth Management Services is hiring two new positions to implement the Housing Accountability Act and provide housing policy and technical assistance to Washington jurisdictions:


* Housing Planner [ [link removed] ]
* Principal Housing Planner [ [link removed] ]

You can find these positions and more on Commerce’s job portal [ [link removed] ]. Please share them with anyone who might be interested!

*Climate and ecosystem updates*

Climate planning grants to reopen Jan. 6

Commerce will reopen the climate planning grant application to distribute the remaining $7.5 million of grant funding to support communities conducting comprehensive planning for climate change.

The application period will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. We will award grant funding for eligible activities in the order applications were received until all available funds have been committed.

Find application materials and more information on Commerce’s website. [ [link removed] ]

 

Paper spotlights Washington climate action

Weather, climate and society publication cover

A new article in "Weather, Climate, and Society" — co-authored by Commerce planners and partners — highlights lessons learned from implementation of Chapter 228, Laws of 2023 (HB 1181) [ [link removed] ], which added a climate goal to the Growth Management Act. 

Read more about the article. [ [link removed] ]



*Tribal updates*

Self-guided training: Welcome to Indian Country

A free training is available for jurisdictions who want to level up their tribal engagement strategy.  This six-course series provides an overview of tribes on a national level, and a deeper dive into working with tribes within Washington state. The training is aimed at helping conservation planners, project managers, leaders, and land managers to be better equipped to engage tribal nations and leadership in a respectful and meaningful way.

Take the training. [ [link removed] ]

*From our partners*

Ecology: New report details $1.5 billion in Climate Commitment Act investments 

Dept of Ecology logo

A new report from the Washington Department of Ecology [ [link removed] ] details how $1.5 billion of Climate Commitment Act (CCA) revenue was invested in local communities during the 2023-25 biennium — the most comprehensive accounting of CCA spending to date.

 



MRSC: Floor Area Ratio — what it is and how local governments can use it

MRSC Logo

Is your jurisdiction up to speed on floor area ratio? Chapter 267, Laws of 2025 (HB 1491) [ [link removed] ] requires the use of floor area ratio (FAR) when setting density standards near high-capacity transit stations.

A new article from the Municipal Research & Services Center [ [link removed] ] breaks down the basics floor area ratio, why it matters for cities and provides examples from across the state.



WGS shares new post-wildfire debris flow reports

DNR logo

The Washington Geological Survey (WGS) released nine Wildfire-Associated Landslide Emergency Response Team reports [ [link removed] ] since Sept. 30.

The WALERT team assessed over 175,000 acres burned this wildfire season, focusing on potential risks posed by post-fire debris flows and flash floods.



*Upcoming events*

Periodic Update Workshops

Commerce routinely hosts workshops on specific elements of the periodic update process. These workshops provide valuable opportunities for local jurisdictions to understand and meet the requirements of the periodic update. Please consider joining us for an upcoming workshop to learn more about planning in Washington.

*Upcoming workshops*

Public Engagement and Environmental Justice

10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15


* Register for the workshop (Zoom) [ [link removed] ]
* Download the workshop flyer (PDF) [ [link removed] ]

 

Short Course on Local Planning

The Short Course on Local Planning offers an overview of land use planning laws in Washington and an introduction to comprehensive planning under the Growth Management Act. All courses are online, free and open to the public.

*Upcoming Short Courses*


* 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5 [ [link removed] ] (In person at Walla Walla City Hall, 15 North 3rd Avenue, Walla Walla)
* 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27 [ [link removed] ]
* 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26 [ [link removed] ]
* 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 [ [link removed] ]





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About Commerce

Commerce works with local governments, businesses, community-based organizations and tribes to strengthen communities. The department’s diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs and effective public and private partnerships promote sustainable community and economic development to help all Washingtonians thrive. For more information, visit [link removed]. For information on locating or expanding a business in Washington, visit choosewashingtonstate.com [ [link removed] ].

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