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Solutions For More Affordable Home Choices
In order to provide adequate housing supply and variety, local governments should adopt housing measures in both the local Comprehensive Plan and in development regulations. The Comprehensive Plan provides the roadmap for how a community will grow over time, while development regulations are the specific regulatory provisions that govern how projects can be constructed. The following link provides an explanation, discussion and a sample of housing measures that have been used effectively around Washington State.

Local housing solutions

Land Use and You - Part I , Part II , Part III - by Sandy Mackie, Perkins Coie LLC. A series explaining the importance of land use decisions to REALTORS® and how they can be involved in local decisions that determine the use, value and marketability of the property in their communities.

Critical Areas and Big Buffers - Six Questions Your Local Officials Must Answer- by Sandy Mackie, Perkins Coie LLC. "Before city and county governments move forward to adopt a 'big buffer' based critical areas ordinance, they should be able to provide the public with answers to several pertinent questions." These are viable questions to pose officials in public hearings in order to challenge the assumption of the need for "big buffers" and require a written response from staff prior to aoption of an ordinance; the local advocate may use the following article on the "Mythology of Buffers" to submit for the record.

Critical Areas- Best Available Science and the Mythology of Buffers - by Sandy Mackie, Perkins Coie LLC. Sandy points out how the "buffer science" promoted to support critical areas programs with significant buffers suffer from two major defects."The developed shorelines of the state and developed area wetlands can be managed to accomplish the protection required by the GMA without creating large bands of nonconforming uses through big buffers," said Mr. Mackie in the letter that accompanies the paper.

Sign Ordinance White Paper - "Why Real Estate Off-Premises Open House A-Board Signs Are Critical" presented by the Seattle-King County Association of REALTORS®.

Tools for Local Planning: a new CD and Website are now available as tools based on local planning solutions in Fairfax County, Virginia. The CD illustrates graphically and effectively some common principles that make for good land use planning.

How to Organize Courthouse Visits - a list of things "to do" from the Snohomish County/Camano Association that has been conducting them successfully for four years! Plan a local "Hill Day."

Recommendations to Streamline Permitting- a report that lists 23 ideas to improve the process on a local level.

A Citizen's Guide to Public Participation - This paper is designed to give the interested citizen activist the basic tools to become an effective participant in local government’s land use planning and appeal process.

Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) 101 - the basics, the law and talking points.

Useful Tips for Providing Effective Testimony - tips presented by Bryan Wahl, W.A.R.'s Government Affairs Director on effective legislative relations at this year's Housing Washington Conference.

How to Do a Housing Issues Briefing - a simple "how-to" by David Crowell, Seattle King County Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Director.

Improve the planning process in your community with the "charrette" workshop method.

Why Should REALTORS® Get Involved?? - your involvement in community planning can make the difference in the quality of life there.

REALTORS® Local Government Action Plan - a handy checklist to help local REALTORS® maximize their contributions in communities. This is a list of actions to take under specific subject of concern to our industry and our quality of life.

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