Co-living can be a win for residents and communities; guidebook available
A once-common housing type is seeing renewed interest as an effective way to improve affordability, foster community and reduce sprawl. Referred to as co-living, this housing provides private living quarters, with shared kitchens and other common areas.
Boarding houses — a form of co-living — were common in early America but died out as norms shifted after World War II. Now, communities across Washington are exploring co-living options to accommodate housing needs for the state’s growing population.
To assist local jurisdictions planning for co-living, Commerce has prepared several new guidance documents, including:
Find these and other guidance documents on Commerce’s Middle Housing webpage.
State law passed in 2024 and codified as RCW 26.70A.535 will require all cities and counties planning under the Growth Management Act to allow co-living where six or more multifamily residential units are permitted on a lot. Cities and counties have until December 31, 2025, to adopt co-living regulations.
Commerce would like to thank all those who participated in development of the co-living guidance, including those who provided public comment.
Washington State Zoning Atlas coming this summer
Commerce is preparing to launch the Washington State Zoning Atlas (WAZA) this summer.
Similar to what the Puget Sound Mapping Project provides for Western Washington, the WAZA will be a public mapping tool for key features and regulatory characteristics of zoning codes across Washington state.
The WAZA will make it easier to compare zoning codes between jurisdictions and identify regional and statewide trends in regulation. The WAZA is intended to be compatible with and build upon the National Zoning Atlas. Learn more on Commerce’s Washington State Zoning Atlas webpage.
Share comments on draft guidance for Adopting Critical Areas Ordinances by reference
Commerce has drafted guidance for cities regarding adopting their county’s Critical Areas Ordinances by reference and opened a 30-day comment period to solicit feedback.
Under the Growth Management Act, cities and counties must designate and protect critical areas and regularly update their critical areas regulations. Cities with populations under 25,000 may adopt their county’s critical areas regulations by reference instead of updating their own.
Commerce will host a public review and comment session at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 2. Comments are due by close of business Friday, April 11.
View draft guidance | Register for comment session | Submit comments
MFTE reports due April 1
Each community offering an MFTE program must report to Commerce by April 1 each year on program activities in the previous calendar year. Reporting requirements and deadlines are detailed in state law. All jurisdictions without an independent audit or review program must submit all MFTE contracts including affordable units for final certifications issued in 2020.
To submit 2024 annual reports:
Periodic Update Grant contract amendment deadline: April 18
Periodic Update Grant award notifications and instructions have been distributed to counties and cities with 2025 and 2026 updates. Jurisdictions in need of a contract amendment must have an updated scope of work and budget table finalized and approved by early April.
The deadline for jurisdictions to sign contract amendments is April 18. Jurisdictions are eligible to request reimbursement for all Periodic Update Grant Work, defined in the grant agreements.
Population projections include tribal land
Commerce confirmed that county population projections provided by the Office of Financial Management include populations living on reservation, trust or other tribal land.
OFM’s population projections are used by tribal and local planners to plan for development and housing needs during the comprehensive plan update process.
Find the latest population projections on OFM’s website.
 Climate updates
Climate planning resources available in multiple languages
Commerce has interpreted its most recent climate element webinar into eight languages: Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Pashto, Khmer, Nepali and Farsi. The webinar — part of the agency’s Periodic Update workshop series — was recorded for jurisdictions now updating their comprehensive plan.
Commerce’s intermediate climate element planning guidance is also translated into the same eight languages and available online. These materials aim to make Commerce’s climate planning materials more accessible and support efforts to engage overburdened communities and vulnerable populations in local planning.
Please share the links and materials with your communities.
Salmon recovery grant deadline: March 31
Applications for the latest round of Salmon Recovery Through Local Planning grants are due March 31. Approximately $1 million in funding is available through a partnership between Commerce and the Puget Sound National Estuary Program. These grants are designed to help local jurisdictions and tribes integrate salmon recovery efforts into their local planning.
Learn more and apply on Commerce’s Salmon Recovery through Local Planning Grant webpage.
Housing updates
New housing guidance available
Commerce has released several new housing-related fact sheets, including:
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Neighborhood Commercial fact sheet: Provides examples for locating neighborhood commercial uses, considerations for performance standards and historical background. Neighborhood commercial uses are primarily neighborhood-serving businesses that provide limited retail goods and services for nearby residential customers.
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Residential Impact Fees fact sheet: Facts are consistent with the latest updates to state law. Impact fees are one-time fees assessed on development projects to help pay for new or expanded public facilities.
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System Development Charges fact sheet: Provides a summary of requirements and options for fee reductions.
Find housing guidance on Commerce’s middle housing webpage.
From our partners
MRSC: Using Unit Lot Subdivisions to Increase Local Housing Supply
The Municipal Research and Services Center recently highlighted unit lot subdivisions for their potential to create ownership opportunities and increase housing options. MRSC’s blog provides an overview of relevant state law and several examples of locally implemented code from around the state. Commerce published its Unit Lot Subdivision Fact Sheet in November 2024.
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Updated Washington Tsunami Design Zone for the New Washington State Building Code
To make critical structures such as hospitals, police stations, and vertical evacuation refuges more resilient to tsunamis, the latest update to the Washington State Building Code (the 2021 International Building Code with amendments) requires certain structures in areas affected by tsunamis to adhere to specific engineering and construction standards. To determine if a location could be inundated by a tsunami — and therefore must adhere to these higher engineering standards — engineers use a product from the Washington Geological Survey called the Washington Tsunami Design Zone (WA-TDZ).
The WA-TDZ delineates inundation areas by compiling the best available tsunami modeling from WGS and from partners. The WA-TDZ webpage provides an interactive map where users can explore site-specific tsunami information. Zooming in and clicking on a location of interest in the interactive map will display details for that area. The TDZ webpage also links to the original modeling publications cited in the building code.
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Upcoming events
Roundtable on Review of Critical Areas Regulations
The Department of Commerce will hold a roundtable conversation for state planners who review critical areas regulations. The roundtable will feature representatives from Commerce, Fish and Wildlife, Ecology, and Natural Resources who will talk about their approaches, experiences and challenges in reviewing critical areas regulations. We seek to establish a collaborative setting in which planners can share their questions and insights about critical areas. If time allows, we will also have break-out sessions by region.
CAO Roundtable: 9:30 – to 11 a.m. March 26 | Register for the CAO Roundtable
Periodic Update Workshop — Transportation
Commerce is partnering with the Municipal Research and Services Center and the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments to bring you comprehensive information and resources that support jurisdictions with periodic updates due in 2026. The periodic update workshop will focus on transportation planning including:
- What’s new in transportation
- Updating your transportation element
- Transportation planning for climate change and multimodal systems
- Community spotlight: City of Redmond
- Q&A
Transportation workshop: 10 a.m. April 10 | Register for the Transportation workshop
Regional Planners’ Forums
The Washington State Department of Commerce, Planning Association of Washington, and Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association collaboratively present the Regional Planners’ Forums.
The Planners’ Forums offer a free opportunity for planners, planning commissioners, elected officials and community members to talk informally about local issues, share ideas and receive updates from state and federal agencies.
The Planners’ Forums also satisfy requirements for credentialed planners toward professional development through advanced-level presentations on timely and relevant planning subjects.
Peninsula: 9 – 11:30 a.m. March 20 | Register for the Peninsula Forum
Southwest: 9 – 11:30 a.m. April 17 | Register for the Southwest Forum
Tribal: Commerce hosted the inaugural Tribal Planners’ Forum on March 11. The forum was recorded and will be posted online. The next tribal forum will be held in early June.
Take survey: If you have attended a Regional Planners’ Forum or are considering doing so, Commerce invites you to take our 2025 survey. This survey will help determine training needs for the upcoming year.
The Short Course on Local Planning
The Short Course on Local Planning offers an overview of land use planning laws in Washington, an introduction to comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the Growth Management Act, a review of roles in planning, and mandatory training on the Open Public Meetings Act for local government officials. All courses are online, free and open to the public.
The Short Course schedule has been updated for the rest of the year.
We are excited to announce our first Short Course on Local Planning with a tribal planning focus. Many thanks to the Tulalip Tribes for collaborating with Commerce on the course and for hosting the event. Check the Short Course Agenda to learn more.
Online course:
In-person courses:
Ask about local presentations
Commerce also offers e-visits to local planning commissions or other meetings. Topics include comprehensive plan basics and roles in the planning process.
Contact your regional planner to request a presentation.
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