Washington HB 1494: Providing housing safety, security, and protection for Washington families by creating the antidisplacement property tax exemption.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
HOUSE BILL 1494
Chapter 164, Laws of 2025
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAM—MODIFICATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025
Passed by the House March 5, 2025
Yeas 63 Nays 34
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Passed by the Senate April 15, 2025
Yeas 30 Nays 18
JOHN LOVICK
President of the Senate
CERTIFICATE
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
State of Washington, do hereby
certify that the attached is HOUSE
BILL 1494 as passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
BERNARD DEAN
Chief Clerk
Approved April 25, 2025 9:51 AM FILED
April 25, 2025
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to the property tax exemptions for new and 1
rehabilitated multiple-unit dwellings in urban centers without 2
extending the expiration date of the exemptions or expanding the 3
exemptions to conversions of market rate residential buildings to 4
affordable housing; and amending RCW 84.14.010, 84.14.020, 84.14.021, 5
84.14.040, 84.14.060, 84.14.070, 84.14.100, and 84.14.110.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:7
Sec. 1. RCW 84.14.010 and 2024 c 332 s 17 are each amended to 8
read as follows:9
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 10
unless the context clearly requires otherwise.11
(1) "Affordable housing" means residential housing ((that is 12
rented by a person or household whose)) with monthly ((housing)) 13
costs, including utilities other than telephone, that do not exceed 14
((thirty)) 30 percent of the ((household's)) monthly income of a low-15
income or moderate-income household. ((For the purposes of housing 16
intended for owner occupancy, "affordable housing" means residential 17
housing that is within the means of low or moderate-income 18
households.))19
(2) "Campus facilities master plan" means the area that is 20
defined by the University of Washington as necessary for the future 21
HOUSE BILL 1494
Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Ramel, Donaghy, Nance, Walen, Duerr, Reed,
Parshley, and Salahuddin
Read first time 01/21/25. Referred to Committee on Finance.
p. 1 HB 1494.SL

growth and development of its campus facilities for campuses 1
authorized under RCW 28B.45.020.2
(3) "City" means either (a) a city or town with a population of 3
at least ((fifteen thousand)) 15,000, (b) the largest city or town, 4
if there is no city or town with a population of at least ((fifteen 5
thousand)) 15,000, located in a county planning under the growth 6
management act, (c) a city or town with a population of at least 7
((five thousand)) 5,000 located in a county subject to the provisions 8
of RCW 36.70A.215, or (d) any city that otherwise does not meet the 9
qualifications under (a) through (c) of this subsection, until 10
December 31, 2031, that complies with RCW 84.14.020(1)(a)(iii) or 11
84.14.021(1)(b).12
(4) "Conversion" means the conversion of a nonresidential 13
building, in whole or in part, to multiple-unit housing under this 14
chapter.15
(5) "County" means a county with an unincorporated population of 16
at least 170,000.17
(6) "Governing authority" means the local legislative authority 18
of a city or a county having jurisdiction over the property for which 19
an exemption may be applied for under this chapter.20
(7) "Growth management act" means chapter 36.70A RCW.21
(8) "Household" means a single person, family, or unrelated 22
persons living together.23
(9) "Low-income household" means a single person, family, or 24
unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is at or 25
below ((eighty)) 80 percent of the median family income adjusted for 26
family size, for the county, city, or metropolitan statistical area, 27
where the project is located, as reported by the United States 28
department of housing and urban development.29
(10) "Moderate-income household" means a single person, family, 30
or unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is more 31
than ((eighty)) 80 percent but is at or below ((one hundred fifteen)) 32
115 percent of the median family income adjusted for family size, for 33
the county, city, or metropolitan statistical area, where the project 34
is located, as reported by the United States department of housing 35
and urban development.36
(11) "Multiple-unit housing" means a building or a group of 37
buildings having four or more dwelling units not designed or used as 38
transient accommodations and not including hotels and motels. 39
Multifamily units may result from new construction or rehabilitated 40
p. 2 HB 1494.SL

or conversion of vacant, underutilized, or substandard buildings to 1
multifamily housing.2
(12) "Owner" means the property owner of record.3
(13) "Permanent residential occupancy" means multiunit housing 4
that