Helping rural communities access affordable housing investments

We are fast approaching the halfway point of the 2021 legislative session. There have been some challenges conducting business as usual for the Legislature during this unusual time in our lives. The governor’s decision to close off a large portion of the Capitol grounds to the public is concerning, as are his ever-changing metrics and policies when it comes to reopening our state.

I’m very pleased that all parts of our state have been able to move to Phase 2 of the latest reopening plan. I and my 13th District seatmates had been critical of moves that opened urban areas sooner and pushed back to ensure that decisions in Olympia take into consideration the good work we’ve done in rural parts of the state.

Having been shut out of the policy-making process for the better part of 12 months, it’s past time for the Legislature to weigh in on these decisions. While some of the governor’s proclamations are good in the sense that they’ve cut bureaucratic red tape or waived fees, it is our job to represent the people in an open and transparent manner through the legislative process.

I’ll continue to support efforts by my colleagues to rein in the executive’s power during times of emergency that requires more legislative oversight. I believe this is a bipartisan issue that concerns good governance more than partisan politics.

In the Legislature, I am working to bridge the divide, fighting for the needs of rural Washington, and wanted to highlight some of the positive work I’m doing for our communities.

Affordable housing continues to be a focal point for the Legislature. Although some high-profile policies, such as reforms to the housing provider-tenant law, have recently been approved, there is still work needed to fix disparities between rural and urban development.

That is why I sponsored legislation that will help bridge the gaps. While we need serious reform of our state’s land-use planning laws and must fix where our dollars are being spent, my proposal will help rural communities be competitive when it comes to affordable housing investment.

Affordable housing is not just a problem in urban and suburban areas in western Washington. We have a real need in the communities I represent. I’m hopeful that SB 5375 will become law, to provide needed technical and pre-construction assistance with performance goals of increasing the number of affordable housing development applications, obtaining capital financing awards, and more units in rural Washington.

– Sen. Judy Warnick serves the 13th Legislative District.