News

Stay up to date with the latest dispatches from Futurewise

Legislative Update – April 12, 2019

We have been working hard in Olympia over the last couple of weeks to shape HB 1923 into legislation that aligns our growth strategy goals and values: advancing equitable, affordable in-fill development in cities that offer access to opportunity and … Continue reading

April 12, 2019

Legislative Update – March 22, 2019

There’s only about five weeks remaining in the legislative session at this point, and we are continuing to track the twists and turns of our priority bills. As we mentioned last week, HB 1923 is presently deconstructed and awaiting a hearing next … Continue reading

March 22, 2019

Legislative Update – March 15, 2019

The update from Olympia today finds our priority bill, HB1923, in a precarious position.  This past week the bill moved out of the House, and onto the Senate – but with a host of watered-down provisions, including the following: (for an … Continue reading

March 15, 2019

Celebrating our 2019 Livable Communities Awardees!

Next week, we’ll be celebrating community leaders from across Washington at our Spring Luncheon and Livable Communities Awards. Each year, Futurewise honors those who are working to make our state a more sustainable, equitable and vibrant place to live. This … Continue reading

March 12, 2019

Legislative Update March 8, 2019

Today we are throwing our support behind two very important bills, 2SHB 1923 and SB 5812, in the hopes they make progress this week. We’re going to focus in this post primarily on 2SHB 1923, which aims to increase urban residential density through a … Continue reading

March 8, 2019

Wonkabout Washington: Meet Housing Justice Expert Dr. Lisa Bates

On Tuesday, March 19th, Futurewise is welcoming activist scholar Dr. Lisa K. Bates, Ph.D. as our Keynote Speaker for the Spring Luncheon and Livable Communities Awards. Dr. Bates will be speaking on the topic “Housing Justice, not for ‘Just Us’”, … Continue reading

March 5, 2019

Expanding Accessory Dwelling Units in Seattle

Futurewise has worked with City of Seattle staff for several years, providing input on policy regarding Accessory Dwelling Units. We’re excited to see the regulatory barriers on building Accessory Dwelling Units in Seattle easing. The current requirements have restricted the … Continue reading

March 4, 2019

Legislative Update – March 1, 2019

Our work in Olympia slows just a bit this coming week, as cutoff for policy-focused bills just occurred.  While at this point in time we can’t quite guarantee the status on each of the bills we’ve been tracking, here are … Continue reading

March 1, 2019

Legislative Update – February 15, 2019

Thanks for tuning in to this week for an update on Futurewise legislative actions.  Next week will be the last week for committee hearings on policy-focused bills, meaning that all bills that aren’t moved out of committee by next Friday … Continue reading

February 15, 2019

Legislative Update – Feb 8, 2019

Thanks for following us as we engage on the bills this session that resonate with (or against) our organizational values.  Here are the bills up for testimony this coming week: HB 1584 – Restricting the availability of state funds for regional … Continue reading

February 8, 2019

Legislative Update February 1

Thanks for keeping up with us as this fourth week of the 2019 legislative session is almost behind us.  Coming up next week are a host of new bills and issues we will be testifying on: SB 5382 – Concerning tiny … Continue reading

February 1, 2019

Legislative Update – Jan 25, 2019

In addition to the bills we reported on last week, we’re presently keeping our eye on a few more that are coming into focus: SB 5372 – Concerning local project review of permit application Bill Summary: This bill requires local jurisdictions respond … Continue reading

January 25, 2019