ARCH’s 2027 State Legislative Priorities
A key strategy in the ARCH Strategic Plan was to advance state and regional legislation to promote affordable housing through increasing funding and reducing barriers. This strategy is a continuation of ongoing ARCH work to align policy and funding strategies at the state level. To develop ARCH’s 2027 Legislative Priorities, ARCH staff met with state policy stakeholders and held two workshops with ARCH members. In these conversations, we heard about the importance of dedicated funding for affordable housing, the value of protecting the programs and policies that have worked in East King County, and the benefits of uplifting local government and sub-regional collaboration in state law and departments.
During the September 10, 2026 ARCH Executive Board meeting, the Board reviewed and approved the 2027 ARCH Legislative Priorities and Principles (available to download here). ARCH members can use these priorities and principles as a resource for developing their own legislative agendas.
2027 ARCH Legislative Priorities and Principles
General Policy Principles
ARCH supports policies and continued state assistance that ensure strong local affordable housing projects, plans, and programs (such as the Multifamily Tax Exemption and inclusionary policies).
ARCH recognizes the importance of maintaining the existing stock of affordable housing in East King County and protecting prior investments
Priority 1: Increase funding for affordable housing at the state and local levels
1A: Provide local revenue options to support affordable housing (for example, a local option REET, a short-term rental tax, or other progressive revenue options).
1B: Encourage state investments to promote affordable housing (for example, supporting the WA State Housing Trust Fund, the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) program, and the Land Acquisition Program).
1C: Ensure adequate funding for Operations, Maintenance, and Services to sustain existing permanent supportive housing, and support units in the pipeline.
Priority 2: Ensure local governments have effective affordable housing tools
2A: Protect local jurisdictions’ ability to use inclusionary zoning to continue creating affordable housing and promoting inclusive communities.
2B: Ensure local jurisdictions continue to have flexibility to optimize the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) to achieve affordability and public benefits in their communities (including the 20-year MFTE program for Transit Oriented Development areas).
Priority 3: Reduce barriers to regional collaboration and support local efforts to build more affordable housing faster
3A: Clarify local government’s role in planning for and accommodating affordable housing under the Growth Management Act and recognize the benefits of sub-regional collaboration through entities like ARCH.
3B: If a WA State Department of Housing moves forward, ensure that it seeks meaningful input from local government so that the Department improves coordination, promotes efficiency and prioritizes resources that support deeply affordable housing.