Issues&Impacts
Back to News Center This issue of Issues & Impacts captures the accelerating shift toward more housing across King County, as cities advance zoning reforms, parking reductions, permit streamlining, and new housing types to meet state mandates and market demand. From Burien and Kent to Seattle, Bellevue, and beyond, policymakers…
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Back to News Center Seattle King County REALTORS® (SKCR) has been closely monitoring and supporting city efforts to comply with new co-living housing mandates adopted by the legislature in 2024. The 2024 co-living housing amendments to state law-now codified as Section 535 of the state’s Growth Management Act-require that cities…
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Back to News Center Pushback from Burien residents against city ordinances increasing density have largely been put to rest following a review of city ordinances. In 2025, the Burien City Council approved density increases that exceeded the minimum requirements of HB 1110 and included a reclassification of the exclusive single-family…
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Back to News Center Seattle King County REALTORS® successfully supported code changes in the City of Kent to exempt small infill housing projects of four or fewer units from requirements to expand infrastructure as a pre-condition of construction. The action is part of a city initiative to remove barriers to…
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Back to News Center Seattle King County REALTORS® (SKCR) has played a vital role throughout the region in encouraging policymakers to prioritize housing supply, transit‑oriented growth, and permitting reform. We are eager to see the fruits of our labor in the form of: More listings with redevelopment potential Increased activity…
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Back to News Center City parking requirements can have significant impacts on the cost of bringing new housing units to the market. Seattle King County REALTORS® is closely monitoring how cities are working to modify their development codes to comply with a 2025 state law that limits how much parking…
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Back to News Center The Bellevue City Council elected REALTOR®-supported councilmembers Mo Malakoutian and Dave Hamilton as mayor and deputy mayor, respectively, in January. Malakoutian and Hamilton will serve in these roles for the next two years. Malakoutian, still in his first term, succeeds Councilmember Lynne Robinson, who served as…
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Back to News Center Since adopting code changes in the comprehensive plan that were required by the WA legislature in 2025, the city of Kent launched an additional regulatory reform initiative called ReCode Kent – Phase 2. That effort, which is nearly concluded with support from Seattle King County REALTORS®,…
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Back to News Center Issues & Impacts is a quarterly publication produced by Seattle King County REALTORS® to inform members about current issues and successes within the Government Affairs Department. IN THIS ISSUE: Supporting Co-Living Housing Models Expanding the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) in Maple Valley REALTOR®-Endorsed Candidate Wins by…
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Back to News Center Last year, REALTOR®-supported King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn spearheaded an effort to add new housing court commissioner positions to the King County Superior Court. The Council approved the legislation in November 2025. This initiative aims to address the significant backlog of unlawful detainer cases, which has…
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