RCW 36.70A.545 Increased density bonus for affordable housing located on property owned by a religious organization.

(1) Any city or county fully planning under this chapter must allow an increased density bonus consistent with local needs for any affordable housing development of any single-family or multifamily residence located on real property owned or controlled by a religious organization provided that:

(a) The affordable housing development is set aside for or occupied exclusively by low-income households;

(b) The affordable housing development is part of a lease or other binding obligation that requires the development to be used exclusively for affordable housing purposes for at least fifty years, even if the religious organization no longer owns the property; and

(c) The affordable housing development does not discriminate against any person who qualifies as a member of a low-income household based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability; or otherwise act in violation of the federal fair housing amendments act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3601 et seq.).

(2) A city or county may develop policies to implement this section if it receives a request from a religious organization for an increased density bonus for an affordable housing development.

(3) An affordable housing development created by a religious institution within a city or county fully planning under RCW 36.70A.040 must be located within an urban growth area as defined in RCW 36.70A.110.

(4) The religious organization developing the affordable housing development must pay all fees, mitigation costs, and other charges required through the development of the affordable housing development.

(5) If applicable, the religious organization developing the affordable housing development should work with the local transit agency to ensure appropriate transit services are provided to the affordable housing development.

(6) This section applies to any religious organization rehabilitating an existing affordable housing development.

(7) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Affordable housing development" means a proposed or existing structure in which one hundred percent of all single-family or multifamily residential dwelling units within the development are set aside for or are occupied by low-income households at a sales price or rent amount that may not exceed thirty percent of the income limit for the low-income housing unit;

(b) "Low-income household" means a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is less than eighty percent of the median family income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the affordable housing development is located; and

(c) "Religious organization" has the same meaning as in RCW 36.01.290.

[ 2019 c 218 § 3.]