Commerce presents broad plan on housing, clean energy and broadband funding

David Pringle, legislative director for the Washington State Department of Commerce, told the Senate Businesses, Financial Services and Trade Committee that Commerce’s mission is to "strengthen communities" through housing, infrastructure, clean energy, economic development and supporting local services. The department gave an overview of program areas, budget trends and priority requests for the 2025 session.

Pringle said Commerce now administers more than a hundred programs and that capital funding has driven growth in the agency’s responsibilities. "Over the past 10 years or so, we've seen our budget increase quite a bit, particularly ... capital budget dollars," he said, and added that the agency’s operating budget has grown to support homeless shelters, affordable housing operations and local technical assistance.

On housing, Commerce cited a need for more than 1.1 million new homes in Washington by 2040 and stressed the importance of affordable units for households below area median income. The department noted the state’s long‑running investment in the State Housing Trust Fund and said that since 1986 the state has invested for…