by Kirk Kirkland
Each month during the legislative session the Coalition publishes an update on the progress of state legislation that Futurewise and other environmental groups hope to pass before the session ends.
For over 30 years, Futurewise has been our close ally, and they have been the consultant that has largely shaped our environmental legislation before the County Council. In the next session of the state Legislature, the Coalition will support the Department of Natural Resources Trust Land Transfer program as well as several Futurewise recommendations.
Read about Jim Freeburg and his five-year effort to invigorate the Trust Land Transfer Program and how you help pass Freeberg’s latest proposal in the Legislature.
This Session’s Legislative Priorities from Futurewise
Futurewise works throughout Washington state to encourage healthy, opportunity-rich communities, and protect our farmlands, forests, and water resources through wise land use policies and practices.
In the past five years, Futurewise has won major victories in the state Legislature that require cities and counties to increase housing abundance and affordability, dismantle exclusionary zoning, prevent displacement, combat health disparities and environmental injustice, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster transit-oriented, climate-resilient communities for all.
Legislation to Solve our Most Serious Problems
Our state is facing serious problems. More and more Washingtonians are struggling to afford basics like housing and transportation. Climate Change is causing extreme weather that makes flooding more common, and homelessness continues to rise. But the way we plan and use our land shapes nearly every part of our lives, from how our communities physically look and how affordable things are, to how easy it is to get around and how we impact our environment.
That’s why if we can Grow Together, we can not only tackle these issues, but to continue to shape our communities across the state to be places that are equitable, affordable, and ultimately places we are excited to call home.
Last year, Futurewise made progress, with a focus on housing. We passed Bill 1220 that made sure we are planning for housing types for all income levels, passed middle housing to make sure we’re allowing different types of homes in all neighborhoods, and most recently passed Transit-Oriented Development to ensure we’re building more housing near transit. These victories were possible only because volunteers across Washington spoke up and pushed for change in the Legislature.
For those who want to participate, Futurewise provides a weekly summary of progress and sends details of where and how you can contact legislators from our county.
However, passing these bills is only the first step. If we truly want to make sure we’re enacting our vision of a better future, we need to stick with it and see how the bills are actually implemented and shaping our communities. That’s why we are prioritizing these bills in our 2026 campaign:
Tackling homelessness
We’re working to remove barriers to building permanent supportive housing, emergency shelters, and transitional housing. These are often the hardest housing types to site because local jurisdictions add costly and unnecessary requirements beyond other housing types, in part due to stigma or neighborhood opposition.
Following up from our success passing HB 1220, we want to ensure we’re able to put roofs over people’s heads and make sure they have the housing support they need by making it easier to cite this housing as outlined by state law.
Encouraging middle housing
In 2023, we passed monumental legislation that allowed middle housing. But there are hurdles that make it impossible to build all types of middle housing everywhere, especially stacked flats and condos. That’s why we are working on a suite of issues to legalize stacked flats and make it easier and affordable to build condos.
Our advocacy will be done through the Washington State Building Code Council and the Legislature. We’re working to make sure that building codes are updated to make it feasible to build stacked flats and still have safe homes, and expanding condo liability reform to include larger buildings.
Balancing Rural Housing and the Environment
Addressing the housing affordability crisis in rural areas is always complex. It’s important to balance the needs of rural communities and ensure it is affordable to continue to live in rural areas and provide the housing options that folks need.
At the same time, we must protect fertile farmland and valuable green spaces from sprawl. Again, it’s complex and there is no straightforward easy solution, but you can count on Futurewise to have everyone’s interests in mind.
How to Get Involved
It’s going to take all hands on deck to pass this ambitious agenda! We need volunteers in every corner of the state to get involved and contact legislators. You can participate without driving to Olympia. Using the Legislature’s website, you can register your opposition or provide your approval. You can send an e-mail to our county’s legislators on each important committee and also contribute brief comments before the vote.
Interested? Fill out this form to learn about volunteering and leadership opportunities and sign up for upcoming events like lobby day. You can always check out our online events calendar and join us in January for policy roundtables with Futurewise experts to discuss our priorities in more detail.