Rep. April Connors testifies on her bill to help build affordable housing on public lands

Rep. April Connors, R-Kennewick, testified in the House Finance Committee on House Bill 2003, her bipartisan bill that would provide a new tax exemption to help build affordable housing units on public lands.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources owns more than 7,000 acres of “transition land” that it can’t use for timber harvests because of its close proximity to existing development. It can also be challenging for the state to sell or use the land.

Connors’ proposal aims to encourage lessees of these public lands to build affordable housing units. Her legislation would exempt them from the state’s 12.84% leasehold excise tax for 12 years when they commit to renting or leasing at least 20% of their housing units to low- and moderate-income households.

The exemption would last as long as 20 years if a lessee commits to 25% affordable housing.