Today the Washington State House of Representatives unanimously passed Rep. Davina Duerr’s first bill, HB 2348.
The legislation would streamline reporting for state funding related to housing, and has broad bipartisan support.
During her speech on the House floor, Rep. Duerr said “As an architect, I know how many barriers can stand between a piece of land and the construction of a new home. This bill may seem like a small change, but it will make a huge difference in speeding up construction and reducing regulatory burdens.” Rep. Duerr added that “this will make it easier to build housing we desperately need to tackle our homeless crisis.”
The bill, which passed 97-0, is also supported by the Washington State Association of Counties, their Policy Director Juliana Roe testified in support of the legislation while it was in committee, “Counties strongly support HB 2348 which would eliminate a program that diverts county staff time, attention, and resources away from their ultimate goal – to reduce homelessness. The Department of Commerce already does an excellent job of monitoring county performance requirements related to housing and homelessness. Maintaining this program is duplicative and costly.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration.