Ecology's proposed rule changes go much further. Read our analysis of key changes here.

The rule would expand shoreline and critical areas regulations, increase buffers that could take more land off the table for housing, add new permitting and mitigation requirements, and include provisions that Ecology acknowledges will increase the cost of building a single-family home.

According to Ecology’s own estimates, costs are estimated by project type:

• SINGLE-FAMILY PROJECTS: $58,520 to $234,080 per affected project
• MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS: $117,040 to $468,160 per affected development
• 3:1 TREE REPLACEMENT: $1,250 to $9,600 per affected project
• SHORELINE-STABILIZATION ANALYSIS: $1,448 to $2,895 per application
• ADDITIONAL VEGETATION INFORMATION: ~$202 per project

While Washington’s Legislature has spent years opening the door to more housing through middle housing, ADUs, lot splits, and other reforms, this proposal would add new restrictions and reduce the amount of land available to build on. The result is fewer housing opportunities and higher costs.

Local governments would also be left to implement these new requirements without the resources to do so. With recurring budget constraints, two grant programs for local governments to cover Shoreline Management Program costs have been paused indefinitely. That means more administrative burden, more unfunded mandates, and costs that are likely to show up in permit fees and, ultimately, the price of housing.

Tell Ecology to implement HB 1181 as intended, without making housing harder to build or less affordable for Washington families.