Redmond Middle Housing & Anti-Displacement Analysis

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature passed HB1220, which amended the Growth Management Act in statute RCW 36.70A.020(4), requiring communities to “encourage affordable housing” and to “plan for and accommodate” housing affordable to all income levels. Additionally, the update requires jurisdictions to adopt a new housing element that identifies local policies and regulations that result in racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing and seeks to implement changes to address and begin to undo such impacts and harms.

BDS Planning & Urban Design and BHC Consultants were hired by the City of Redmond to prepare a consolidated Racial Equity, Anti-Displacement Policies, and “Middle Housing” Recommendations report under this legislation. The team performed a robust and targeted engagement strategy balanced with careful research and other technical policy and regulatory analysis. The final report communicated recommendations and strategies that strive to bridge the relationship between middle housing options to address racially disparate impacts related to housing access and affordability in Redmond.