Housing advocates urge House to hold or boost Housing Trust Fund and preservation dollars in HB 2295
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Summary
Nonprofit and local officials praised House investments in the Housing Trust Fund and preservation programs and urged the committee to keep or increase funding for shovel-ready and preservation projects — including Alliance Place, Cloverdale cottages, Hidden Villages and preservation of manufactured housing communities.
Multiple housing providers, local officials and advocates told the Capital Budget Committee they support the House substitute to HB 2295 but urged keeping higher funding levels and matching some Senate additions for specific projects.
Joan Penny of Housing Hope thanked the committee for fully funding predevelopment for Alliance Place, a 167‑unit affordable housing project adjacent to Lynnwood light rail that will include behavioral health services, childcare and job training and is designed to leverage low‑income housing tax credits and other resources. Ryan Donahue of Habitat for Humanity highlighted the Cloverdale cottages, a Senate-included $3,450,000 project he described as shovel-ready and housing 22 families.
Speakers from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, the Housing Development Consortium, Homestead Community Land Trust and other organizations praised a proposed House investment of $165,000,000 in the Housing Trust Fund and additional preservation funding, including $20,000,000 for manufactured housing community preservation and a $5,000,000 urgent repair fund to prevent fire and water damage. Josh Townsley of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity thanked the committee for $4,000,000 for the Hidden Villages Mobile Home Park stabilization, which he said could preserve current residents and enable more affordable units on 19 acres.
Several witnesses asked the House to hold firm on its funding levels as the bill proceeds to conference with the Senate, or to consider restoring Senate amounts where projects are at risk of delay. Testifiers emphasized that preserving existing affordable housing and funding shovel-ready projects are both essential to addressing the statewide shortage.
Next steps: Advocates said they will follow negotiations and asked committee members to prioritize Housing Trust Fund and preservation line items during conference.