The final chapter of HB 1099, a bill that would have updated Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) to address pressing needs like the climate crisis and shortage of affordable housing, ended unceremoniously just shy of midnight last night. The 2022 regular legislative session adjourned without the bill going up for a vote in the House.
The defeat came on the heels of the legislator’s failure to pass key housing bills this session, notably missing middle housing, backyard cottage reform, and housing benefit districts, which are aimed at accumulating public land near frequent transit to develop affordable housing.
In the final days end of the session, hopes were high among supporters that the House version of HB 1099, which included requirements for jurisdictions to make plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, would prevail over the Senate’s version, which gutted these climate action provisions. The bill that came out of conference committee sided heavily with the House version and even added in missing middle housing elements on a voluntarily basis — those elements had mostly been mandatory in HB 1782 originally, but it was a promising step. The Senate approved the conference committee’s bill, clearing the way the House to follow suit.
In the end, legislators in the House never got to vote on the final bill, a situation that belies the difficulty of passing any kind statewide legislation related to climate or housing affordability action.
Words cannot begin to express our extreme disappointment.
Over the last two years, we have worked in coalition with so many inspiring people towards a shared vision for a more livable, just, and resilient WA.
We are simply heartbroken that this is the outcome. 5/5
— futurewise (@FuturewiseWA) March 11, 2022
