Homelessness was once an issue that mattered to many Washingtonians, but fell behind other concerns such as the economy, education and taxes. Today, the public will for action on homelessness is stronger than ever. Nearly one in three Washington residents surveyed in a recent Crosscut/Elway Pollsaid homelessness is the top issue facing the Legislature, ahead of the economy, education and taxes.
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To help people facing housing security, lawmakers should create incentives to increase the supply of affordable housing. While government can fund affordable housing directly through programs like the Housing Trust Fund, we rely mostly on the market. According to a new study by Up for Growth, Washington state fell short of meeting its housing needs by 225,000 units between 2000 and 2015. We must create incentives that encourage construction and preservation of affordable housing stock, such as extending and redesigning the Multifamily Housing Tax Exemption, providing new options for local governments to lower impact fees for construction of affordable housing and using tax incentives for building accessory dwelling units and purchasing mobile homes.
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