Spring 2026

Governor Bob Ferguson signed three significant housing bills from the 2026 legislative session, all carrying an effective date of June 11, 2026. Together they continue Washington's three-year push to widen what's legal to build, where, and at what density — following HB 1110 (2023) and the 2025 lot-splitting reform.

SB 6026 — the centerpiece — requires local governments with populations over 30,000 to allow housing in commercial and mixed-use zones. It also limits jurisdictions' ability to mandate ground-floor commercial in more than 40% of their total commercial-or-mixed-use acreage, with carve-outs for industrial zones, transit station areas, and historic landmarks. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support: 35-14 in the Senate, 69-27 in the House. For brokers, this is a meaningful expansion of where residential development can pencil — many commercial parcels that previously had no residential entitlement path now qualify for housing.

HB 2266 creates statewide permitting standards for permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and emergency housing (STEP housing), ensuring this housing type can be built faster and more predictably across jurisdictions. HB 2304, sponsored by Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way), expands the existing condo-style multiplex allowance to four-story buildings, making small multiplex development financially feasible for owner-developers who want to build and sell the units as condos rather than rent them. The official announcement from the Governor's office is here; a practitioner-oriented summary lives at SJA Property Management's 2026 housing supply overview.