Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lynnwood holds public hearing on state-required 'step housing' code changes; staff says ordinance limits added requirements
Summary
Council held a public hearing on a state-mandated step housing code amendment that would permit transitional, permanent supportive and emergency shelter housing where residential or hotel uses are allowed; staff emphasized the proposed ordinance focuses on documentation and compliance with Commerce guidance.
At the Jan. 13 Lynnwood City Council meeting staff held a public hearing on a proposed code amendment to implement "step housing" as required by state housing legislation. Community Planning Manager Carl Almgren and planner Joe LeBlanc summarized the required changes and described how the city’s proposed ordinance would regulate the four categories commonly included under “step housing”: indoor emergency shelters, indoor emergency housing, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing.
Why this matters: state law stemming from the 2021 housing bills (the presentation cited HB 1220) requires cities to permit certain types of supportive and emergency housing where residential or hotel uses are allowed. The change affects how jurisdictions regulate shelters and supportive housing and seeks to prevent local restrictions that would effectively bar those housing types.
What staff said: Almgren said the state and Department of Commerce clarified that jurisdictions may…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
