Housing Committee will be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck

OLYMPIA, WA - On November 22, 2024, Governor-elect Bob Ferguson announced the first of twelve Transition Team subcommittees. The subcommittee, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, will focus on Ferguson’s housing priorities for the first 100 days of his term.  

The Housing Subcommittee will include members of Ferguson’s bipartisan Transition Team and key stakeholders from across the state, to be determined by the Lieutenant Governor. 

“Housing affordability is a crisis in every corner of our state,” said Governor-elect Ferguson. “We need to address this challenge with statewide, urgent action to cut through bureaucracy and build more housing, protect renters and families on the brink, and address high housing costs that hurt our economy and Washington families.” 

"Governor-elect Ferguson truly understands that we need to build more homes of all kinds for all our neighbors, especially affordable homes. I am honored to help him in this effort," Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck said. "By many measures Washington state has the most acute housing shortage. When so many cannot afford to live in the community in which they work, we know this an urgent problem that demands decisive action.” 

Ferguson campaigned on a pledge to build 200,000 units of housing in his first term.  

The Housing Subcommittee will outline a legislative strategy focused on Governor-elect Ferguson’s key housing priorities such as:  

1. Increasing the housing supply by passing and implementing permitting and zoning reforms to build all forms of housing including subsidized affordable housing for people with low and very low incomes, workforce housing, “missing middle” housing for working- and middle-class families, and market rate housing. 

1. Working with stakeholders to pass eviction reforms and pass other common-sense protections that safeguard renters from predatory rent increases and acknowledge the critical role of small landlords in providing affordable housing. 

The 55-member Transition Team will work closely with Ferguson’s Executive Leadership Team, current administration officials, stakeholders, and community organizations to assess needs and establish a strategic plan to help Ferguson implement his priorities for the first 100 days of his new administration. The other subcommittees will be announced in the coming days.