Washington State Apartment News [6/8/26]

Washington State Apartment News

Vancouver adopts 20-year growth plan and new zoning code

The City of Vancouver, Washington‘s City Council adopted “Our Vancouver 2026–2045,” along with an updated zoning code and zoning map, at its June 1 meeting. The plan will guide where homes, jobs, parks and services go over the next two decades. Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said community input shaped every step.[1]

Why it matters: A refreshed comprehensive plan and zoning map reset the rules for where and how multifamily can be built in SW Washington’s largest city. Owners and developers should check the new map to see which parcels gained or lost residential capacity. The update lands as Clark County WA pushes its own countywide growth plan to October.

Washington’s commercial-zone housing law takes effect June 11

Senate Bill 6026, signed by Governor Bob Ferguson, takes effect June 11. Starting then, cities and counties with more than 30,000 residents must allow housing in areas zoned for commercial or mixed-use, and they cannot require ground-floor commercial in most of those areas. Sponsor Sen. Emily Alvarado said the change lets vacant strip malls, empty big-box stores and parking lots become housing. A Sightline Institute analysis found the law could expand land available for multifamily by 62% in affected jurisdictions. It was one of seven housing bills Ferguson signed, including HB 2266, which sets statewide permitting standards for supportive, transitional and emergency housing.[2]

Two tenant-side changes also start June 11: HB 2664 drops the certified-mail requirement for eviction notices, and a separate measure (SB 6237) adds a flood-risk disclosure for leases signed after Dec. 31, 2026.[3]

Why it matters: This is one of the most significant supply-side openings for Washington multifamily in years. Owners and developers should map which commercial corridors now allow apartments, since underused retail sites near existing infrastructure become candidates for conversion or redevelopment. The eviction-notice and disclosure changes also call for updated forms and lease language.

Washington invests $37.3 million to expand EV charging, including at apartments

The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $37.3 million in grants to 43 organizations for 104 projects that will add 754 charging ports by late 2027, the agency said June 1. The funding targets rural communities, tribal nations, multifamily housing and underserved areas, and is paid through the Climate Commitment Act. The projects include 550 Level 2 ports and 204 Level 3 fast chargers.[4]

Why it matters: Charging access is becoming a renter amenity and, in some buildings, a competitive edge. Grant money aimed at multifamily can offset install costs for owners weighing EV infrastructure.

Federal laws and proposed laws

HUD: national homelessness fell 3% in 2025; secretary faults “housing first”

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development‘s annual report, based on a January 2025 point-in-time count, found 745,652 people were homeless, a 3% drop from 2024’s record high. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., saw declines, led by New York and Illinois. HUD Secretary Scott Turner focused instead on a 27% rise since 2013 and faulted “housing first” policies, saying the department will prioritize programs that show results in treatment, employment and stability. HUD also opened a Fair Housing Act investigation into Multnomah County homelessness programs, with Turner saying no government benefit should be distributed based on race.[5]

Why it matters: A federal pivot away from “housing first” could reshape how supportive-housing dollars flow, affecting the affordable and supportive pipeline that owners and developers rely on. The Multnomah County probe puts an Oregon program under direct federal scrutiny.

Bipartisan housing bill advances; WSJ editorial board pans House version

The House passed its version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on May 20 by a 396-13 vote. The Senate passed its own version 89-10 in March. The two chambers must reconcile differences, including how strictly to limit institutional investors from buying single-family homes, before the bill can reach the President. The Wall Street Journal editorial board, writing May 26, called the House bill an expensive bipartisan compromise that would grow federal regulation more than housing supply, pointing to prevailing-wage mandates on new grants and a proposed HUD tenant-complaint hotline aimed at investor landlords.[6]

Why it matters: This would be the largest federal housing package in decades. For multifamily, the key threads are the institutional-investor limits, new grant programs with wage and regulatory strings, and provisions that could raise development costs even as they aim to add supply.

Multifamily construction spending dipped in April

New multifamily construction put in place fell 0.28% in April from the revised March level to a $115.8 billion annual rate, though that was up 1.1% from a year earlier, YieldPro reported June 1 from U.S. Census Bureau data. Single-family spending rose 1.41%. Separately, completions in buildings with five or more units jumped 16.5% for the month and were up 6.4% from a year earlier.[7]

Why it matters: Slower new spending alongside a surge in completions points to a pipeline that is delivering past starts while fewer new projects begin. That supports the case for tightening supply and firmer rents in 2027 and beyond.

NAA: operators face a “perfect storm” of cost and compliance pressure

Property managers are under unusual strain from rising costs and a growing patchwork of regulation, GlobeSt reported June 5, citing the National Apartment Association. Companies named operational efficiency (75%), revenue and profit (66%) and new technology (39%) as top challenges, with labor, utilities, maintenance, insurance and taxes all climbing at once. NAA’s Tiana Heath said technology such as digital leasing and better data can cut avoidable risk and help operators make a stronger case to insurers. Fraud remains a costly problem across the sector.[8]

Why it matters: Operators are being squeezed from several directions at once. Those leaning into automation, better data and stronger screening are better positioned to protect margins.

Sources

[1] City of Vancouver, Washington. “City Council adopts Comprehensive Plan to guide Vancouver’s growth over the next 20 years.” June 1, 2026. https://www.cityofvancouver.us/city-council-adopts-comprehensive-plan-to-guide-vancouvers-growth-over-the-next-20-years/

[2] Office of Gov. Bob Ferguson, “Governor Ferguson signs bills improving housing,” March 2026; Washington State Legislature, SB 6026 (Chapter 236, 2026 Laws; effective date 6/11/2026). https://governor.wa.gov/news/2026/governor-ferguson-signs-bills-improving-housing

[3] Sightline Institute, “Washington Just Passed First-in-the-US Flexibility for Ground-Floor Retail,” March 11, 2026; SJA Property Management, “Washington’s 2026 Housing Supply Bills,” on SB 6026, HB 2664 and SB 6237 compliance dates. https://propertymanagersseattle.com/washington-housing-supply-bills-investors/

[4] Washington State Department of Commerce. “Washington invests $37 million to expand EV charging access statewide.” June 1, 2026.

[5] The National News Desk, Cory Smith, “Homelessness dropped last year, but HUD chief blames ‘housing first’ for long-term rise,” June 1, 2026; Phil Hall, “HUD: Homeless Population Declined by 3% in 2025,” June 1, 2026.

[6] The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, “A Bipartisan Housing Fiasco,” May 26, 2026. American Banker / National Mortgage News, “House passes their version of housing legislation, 396 to 13,” May 20, 2026. Bipartisan Policy Center, “What’s in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act?” https://www.americanbanker.com/news/house-passes-their-version-of-housing-legislation-396-13

[7] YieldPro. Michael Rudy. “Multifamily construction spending lower in April.” June 1, 2026. Based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

[8] GlobeSt.com (Arc network), presented by the National Apartment Association (Naahq). Lynn Giles. “How Multifamily Operators Can Navigate a ‘Perfect Storm’ of Property Challenges.” June 5, 2026.