Committee advances bill to designate state and local lands as ‘Home Start’ for affordable housing

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction on June 24 advanced House Bill 2316, a bill directing the Department of Administrative Services to establish a program identifying state‑owned and locally nominated lands within urban growth boundaries as Home Start lands and supporting affordable housing development there.

The measure would allow DAS to work with state agencies and local governments to designate lands suitable for single‑family cottage clusters and middle housing for low‑ or moderate‑income households, exempt such lands from specified land use laws and property taxes for up to five years, and facilitate sale, transfer or lease to housing developers. It would also let DAS provide grants and loans to purchasers or lessees and to cities for public services such as infrastructure, law enforcement, and firefighting.

The bill summary presented to the subcommittee said DAS would need two permanent full‑time positions (an operations and policy analyst 3 and an administrative specialist) and estimated start‑up costs of $859,665 General Fund to support rulemaking, real estate contract work, appraisals and program administration. The summary also described creation of a Home Start lands fund into which proceeds from sales would be deposited and continuously appropriated to DAS to support loans, grants and public services for residents on Home Start lands.

Mr. Cochair moved adoption of the dash B9 amendment and then moved HB 2316 as amended to the full committee with a due‑pass recommendation; the motions were carried. Representative Dreisen told the subcommittee she would not support the bill at this time, saying she needed more time to evaluate the policy because she was not in the original committee consideration. The committee record shows the bill was sent to the full committee with the recommendation to pass as amended.

The proposal does not specify which land parcels would be designated; the text presented to the subcommittee describes a process for collaboration between DAS, other state agencies and local governments to nominate and identify parcels. The measure would also create the Home Start lands fund and make monies in that fund continuously appropriated to DAS. The transcript does not identify the precise land‑use provisions or the specific statutes from which Home Start lands would be exempt beyond the summary language read at the hearing.

Next steps: HB 2316 as amended was moved to the full Ways and Means Committee for further consideration and possible amendment.