Social housing authorities

AN ACT Relating to social housing public development authorities; 1
and amending RCW 35.83.010, 35.83.020, 35.83.030, 35.83.040, 2
35.83.050, 35.83.060, and 35.83.080. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 35.83.010 and 1965 c 7 s 35.83.010 are each amended 5
to read as follows: 6
It has been found and declared in the housing authorities law 7
that there exist in the state unsafe and insanitary housing 8
conditions and a shortage of safe and sanitary dwelling 9
accommodations for persons of low income; that these conditions 10
necessitate excessive and disproportionate expenditures of public 11
funds for crime prevention and punishment, public health and safety, 12
fire and accident protection, and other public services and 13
facilities; and that the public interest requires the remedying of 14
these conditions. It is hereby found and declared that the assistance 15
herein provided for the remedying of the conditions set forth in the 16
housing authorities law constitutes a public use and purpose and an 17
essential governmental function for which public moneys may be spent, 18
and other aid given; that it is a proper public purpose for any state 19
public body to aid any housing authority , including social housing 20
public development authorities, operating within its boundaries or 21
H-0836.1
HOUSE BILL 1687
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Reed, Scott, Berry, Simmons, Parshley, Gregerson,
Peterson, Street, Hill, and Macri
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Housing.
p. 1 HB 1687
jurisdiction or any housing project located therein, as the state 1
public body derives immediate benefits and advantages from such an 2
authority or project; and that the provisions hereinafter enacted are 3
necessary in the public interest. 4
Sec. 2. RCW 35.83.020 and 1991 c 167 s 4 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
The following terms, whenever used or referred to in this chapter 7
shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different 8
meaning clearly appears from the context: 9
(1) "Housing authority" shall mean any housing authority created 10
pursuant to the housing authorities law of this state.11
(2) "Housing project" shall mean any work or undertaking of a 12
housing authority pursuant to the housing authorities law , any work 13
or undertaking of a social housing public development authority, or 14
any similar work or undertaking of the federal government.15
(3) "State public body" shall mean the state of Washington and 16
any city, town, county, municipal corporation, commission, district, 17
authority, other subdivision or public body of the state.18
(4) "Governing body" shall mean the council, the commission, 19
board of county commissioners or other body having charge of the 20
fiscal affairs of the state public body. 21
(5) "Federal government" shall include the United States of 22
America, the United States housing authority, or any other agency or 23
instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of 24
America. 25
(6) "Cross-subsidized" means the rate of rents for high-income 26
households supporting lower rates of rents for low-income and 27
moderate-income households.28
(7) "High-income household" means a single person, family, or 29
unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is at least 30
120 percent of the median household income adjusted for household 31
size, for the county where the household is located, as reported by 32
the United States department of housing and urban development.33
(8) "Low-income household" means a single person, family, or 34
unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is at or 35
below 80 percent of the median household income adjusted for 36
household size, for the county where the household is located, as 37
reported by the United States department of housing and urban 38
development.39
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(9) "Moderate-income household" means a single person, family, or 1
unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is at least 2
80 percent but below 120 percent of the median household income 3
adjusted for household size, for the county where the household is 4
located, as reported by the United States department of housing and 5
urban development.6
(10) "Social housing" means subsidized and cross-subsidized 7
rental housing that is made available to households of any income 8
level, including low-income, moderate-income, and high-income 9
households, and publicly owned in perpetuity by a social housing 10
developer.11
(11) "Social housing public development authority" means any 12
public corporation created under RCW 35.21.730(5) for the purpose of 13
developing, maintaining, and operating social housing.14
(12) "Subsidized" means the use of a financial contribution in 15
the form of a payment, grant, or other conveyance received by a 16
social housing public development authority from a governmental 17
entity to reduce the rate of rents imposed for low-income households.18
Sec. 3. RCW 35.83.030 and 1991 c 167 s 5 are each amended to 19
read as follows: 20
For the purpose of aiding and cooperating in the planning, 21
undertaking, construction or operation of housing projects located 22
within the area in which it is authorized to act, any state public 23
body may upon such terms, with or without consideration, as it may 24
determine: 25
(1) Dedicate, sell, grant, convey, or lease any of its interest 26
in any property, or grant easements, licenses or any other rights or 27
privileges therein to a housing authority , a social housing public 28
development authority, or the federal government; 29
(2) Cause parks, playgrounds, recreational, community, 30
educational, water, sewer or drainage facilities, or any other works 31
which it is otherwise empowered to undertake, to be furnished 32
adjacent to or in connection with housing projects;33
(3) Furnish, dedicate, close, pave, install, grade, regrade, plan 34
or replan streets, roads, roadways, alleys, sidewalks or other places 35
which it is otherwise empowered to undertake; 36
(4) Plan or replan, zone or rezone any part of such state public 37
body; make exceptions from building regulations and ordinances; any 38
city or town also may change its map; 39
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(5) Cause services to be furnished to the housing authority or 1
social housing public development authority of the character which 2
such state public body is otherwise empowered to furnish;3
(6) Enter into agreements with respect to the exercise by such 4
state public body of its powers relating to the repair, elimination 5
or closing of unsafe, insanitary or unfit dwellings;6
(7) Employ (notwithstanding the provisions of any other law) any 7
funds belonging to or within the control of such state public body, 8
including funds derived from the sale or furnishing of property or 9
facilities to a housing authority or social housing public 10
development authority , in the purchase of the bonds or other 11
obligations of a housing authority or social housing public 12
development authority ; and exercise all the rights of any holder of 13
such bonds or other obligations; 14
(8) Do any and all things, necessary or convenient to aid and 15
cooperate in the planning, undertaking, construction or operation of 16
such housing projects; 17
(9) Incur the entire expense of any public improvements made by 18
such state public body in exercising the powers granted in this 19
chapter; 20
(10) Enter into agreements (which may extend over any period, 21
notwithstanding any provision or rule of law to the contrary), with a 22
housing authority or social housing public development authority 23
respecting action to be taken by such state public body pursuant to 24
any of the powers granted by this chapter. Any law or statute to the 25
contrary notwithstanding, any sale, conveyance, lease or agreement 26
provided for in this section may be made by a state public body 27
without appraisal, advertisement or public bidding: PROVIDED, There 28
must be five days public notice given either by posting in three 29
public places or publishing in the official county newspaper of the 30
county wherein the property is located; and 31
(11) With respect to any housing project which a housing 32
authority or social housing public development authority has acquired 33
or taken over from the federal government and which the housing 34
authority or social housing public development authority by 35
resolution has found and declared to have been constructed in a 36
manner that will promote the public interest and afford necessary 37
safety, sanitation and other protection, no state public body shall 38
require any changes to be made in the housing project or the manner 39
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of its construction or take any other action relating to such 1
construction. 2
Sec. 4. RCW 35.83.040 and 1965 c 7 s 35.83.040 are each amended 3
to read as follows: 4
In connection with any housing project located wholly or partly 5
within the area in which it is authorized to act, any state public 6
body may agree with a housing authority , a social housing public 7
development authority, or the federal government that a certain sum 8
(in no event to exceed the amount last levied as the annual tax of 9
such state public body upon the property included in said project 10
prior to the time of its acquisition by the housing authority or 11
social housing public development authority ) or that no sum, shall be 12
paid by the housing authority or social housing public development 13
authority in lieu of taxes for any year or period of years.14
Sec. 5. RCW 35.83.050 and 1965 c 7 s 35.83.050 are each amended 15
to read as follows: 16
Any city, town, or county located in whole or in part within the 17
area of operation of a housing authority or social housing public 18
development authority shall have the power from time to time to lend 19
or donate money to such housing authority or social housing public 20
development authority or to agree to take such action. Such housing 21
authority or social housing public development authority , when it has 22
money available therefor, shall make reimbursements for all such 23
loans made to it. 24
Sec. 6. RCW 35.83.060 and 1965 c 7 s 35.83.060 are each amended 25
to read as follows: 26
The exercise by a state public body of the powers herein granted 27
may be authorized by ((resolution of the governing body of such state 28
public body adopted by a majority of the members of its governing 29
body present at a meeting of said governing body, which resolution 30
may be adopted at the meeting at which such resolution is introduced. 31
Such a resolution or resolutions shall take effect immediately and 32
need not be laid over or published or posted )) the executive of the 33
state public body. Such action shall take effect immediately.34
Sec. 7. RCW 35.83.080 and 2018 c 42 s 1 are each amended to read 35
as follows: 36
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For the purpose of aiding the board of commissioners of a housing 1
authority or social housing public development authority in carrying 2
out the board's duties or powers under any applicable law, any state 3
public body may, with or without consideration, provide monetary, in-4
kind, or other support to the board of commissioners of a housing 5
authority or social housing public development authority . Such 6
support may not be for the purpose of compensation for a commissioner 7
for his or her services rendered to the housing authority or social 8
housing public development authority. 9
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