$3 million dollars have been allocated through grants to numerous cities and counties across the state to speed up building permit processes.

   Officials say speeding up the permit process will help provide more residential housing

The Dept. of Commerce says:

"The funding will help create digital permitting processes and consolidate permit reviews, reducing the time needed to process and approve residential building permits, moves that strengthens the state’s pipeline of new housing production."

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The funding comes from legislation that unanimously passed the State House and Senate earlier this year.  The following cities and counties have received funds to streamline their permit processes:

  • City of Airway Heights: $187,500
  • City of College Place: $170,500
  • City of Mukilteo: $100,000
  • City of Wapato: $89,219
  • Town of Yarrow Point: $187,500
  • Pierce County: $187,500
  • Skagit County: $187,500

Some of the funding will go to what's called Paper to Digital Grants. The following municipalities will get funds to fully transition their slower paper processes to digital:

  • City of Anacortes: $197,335
  • City of Arlington: $183,000
  • City of Buckley: $80,000
  • City of Carnation: $100,000
  • City of La Center: $194,500
  • City of Lakewood: $240,000
  • City of Lynden: $140,000
  • City of Port Townsend: $60,000
  • City of Snoqualmie: $117,811
  • City of Spokane: $375,000
  • City of University Place: $30,000
  • Jefferson County: $94,000
  • Lewis County: $78,635

While this will likely speed up the process, it does not address the growing concerns over building codes that are being or have been modified to omit natural gas, which many builders say is driving up costs for residential homes. This, and other code modifications, have driven up the price and feasibility of construction.

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