Dear friends and neighbors,
We’re now five weeks into the 2023 legislative session and I know you’re all busy, so I wanted to take a moment to update you on what I’ve been doing on your behalf in Olympia.
Everyone needs a home
One of the reasons you sent me here was because I promised to make real progress in addressing our housing crisis, and with three bills in the works I am proud to say I am keeping that promise.
House Bill 1611 will end the bottleneck at the permits desk. Delays in the permitting process not only stop us from building the homes families need right now, but they also drive up building costs while we wait.
This is a strong, forward-leaning approach to streamlining our permitting process to match the urgency of our current housing crisis. It will lower barriers to building housing in a timely fashion while still ensuring the necessary review takes place. Thrilled to announce this bill passed out of committee last week!
House Bill 1351 will provide flexibility to local rules that currently force every new building to include an expensive, one size fits all level of parking, regardless of how much parking is actually needed at that site. These minimum parking requirements are taking away from buildable land that could provide the homes WA families desperately need and driving up the cost of homes.
Alleviating these current regulations will help put us on a path to lower cost homes closer to frequent transit — and that’s the future our state is looking for. I’m so thankful to all of you who signed in to support this bill and I’m pleased to say it just passed out of committee!
House Bill 1517 proactively takes advantage of development opportunities around transit like light & commuter rail, rapid bus stations, and ferry terminals. That way we can end wasteful delays and build more housing where it’s most needed. Proud to work alongside Sen. Liias with this House companion to his SB 5466. See me testify by clicking here.
It’s Black History Month!
As a young person of color growing up in a formerly redlined neighborhood, I rarely saw people who looked like me, or came from my background, who could give me a sense of what my future could be. Representation matters. As we celebrate Black History Month this year, I’m proud to serve as part of the largest Legislative Black Caucus in our state’s history and the first person of color to represent the 36th LD in Olympia.
Black history is American history. Black culture is American culture. But this month is about more than honoring where we came from, it’s about where we’re going next. That’s why I’m working hard to address issues that disproportionately impact communities of color, like increasing access to affordable housing, pathways to higher education, and opportunities for community arts programs.
There’s still a long way to go this session, but I promise I will not let you down. Please help me in my work by reaching out to my office if there’s anything I can do to assist you or your family. My door is always open, or you can reach me by phone at (360) 786-7814 or by email. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook for all the latest updates!
Best wishes,
State Representative Julia Reed
36th Legislative District