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Committee advances bill allowing middle housing in certain urban-growth and rural development areas
Summary
The Housing Committee on March 24 reported out Senate Bill 5,471 as amended by two technical amendments; the final committee vote was 15–1 with one excused. Amendments clarified that sewer service must be existing in certain areas and refined county authorization language for middle housing types in urban-growth areas.
Senate Bill 5,471 was the third bill considered at the March 24 Housing Committee meeting. Committee staff described the bill as allowing a fully planning county to authorize middle housing on each single-family parcel in urban-growth areas in limited areas of more intensive rural development (LAMRIDs), subject to conditions in the bill.
Vice Chair Hill moved adoption of amendment SCRE 2 21, which specifies that the sewer service required for a county to allow middle housing in the LAMRIDs must be existing sewer service. The amendment sponsor said the change clarifies that this expedited process is limited to areas with existing sewer and that counties may opt for other approaches if they do not use the expedited process. Representative Engel expressed concern that many landlords in her district lack that infrastructure and said she would vote no on the amendment; the amendment was nevertheless adopted.
Ranking member Below (moved SCRE 2 19) offered a second technical amendment to ensure consistency throughout the bill; members approved that amendment as well. The committee then moved to incorporate the adopted amendments into a striking amendment and to report the engrossed Senate Bill 5,471 out of committee with a due-pass recommendation.
Representative Dufo opposed the bill, saying that by requiring existing sewer connections the amendment limited the bill’s practical effect in many rural areas and arguing that recent legislative actions had overall diminished housing supply. Other members, including Representative Engel in her later remarks, supported the bill as a way to expand middle-housing options in rural and urban-growth areas.
The clerk called the roll for final passage as amended. The recorded roll-call votes were: Peterson (yes); Hill (yes); Richards (yes); Lowe (yes); Jacobson (yes); Manjaris (yes); Barkis (yes); Connors (yes); Dufo (no); Engel (yes); Entenmann (yes); Gregerson (yes); Lakanoff (yes); Reed (yes); Thomas (excused); Timmons (yes); Zahn (yes). The clerk announced the tally: 15 ayes, 1 nay, 1 excused. By that vote the engrossed Senate Bill 5,471 was reported out of committee as amended.
No fiscal details, implementation schedule, or follow-up reporting requirements were specified during the meeting; members reminded colleagues of upcoming deadlines for filing amendments ahead of the next session date.
