State Sen. Jeff Wilson introduces bill allowing local governments to streamline approval for ‘kit homes’

(Centraila, Wash.) Chronicle

State Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, of the 19th District, has introduced legislation to streamline the permitting process for “kit homes,” structures that are factory built but not factory assembled.

Senate Bill 5657 would allow local governments to expedite the approval process for kit homes that already meet standards for construction design.

“A hundred years ago, people bought houses from the Sears catalog – they came in a boxcar, you found a local crew to build them or you did it yourself,” Wilson said in a statement. “We see pre-war kit bungalows standing proudly today in every community of the state. As prices of starter homes skyrocket, we ought to take another look at kit homes as a solution for today.”

According to Wilson, lawmakers are coming to believe the state’s shortage of affordable housing has reached a crisis point. Wilson argued kit homes offer an inexpensive solution and would encourage home ownership even at low income levels. He also believes kit home developments for public housing could act as an alternative to what he called “costly” high-rise projects and multifamily apartment blocks.

“Kit homes are the ultimate in plug-and-play design. They can be used for anything from tiny-house villages for the homeless to cabins to high-density development. Government regulation is one of the biggest reasons for today’s high costs. But when we’re talking about cookie-cutter designs that come from a factory, we shouldn’t have to review blueprints more than once,” Wilson said.

Kit homes range in size from as small as 60 square feet to over 2,000 square feet. Prices for unfinished kit homes start at less than $10,000. While construction and government-related costs would increase the expense of kit homes, Wilson believes mass production of kit homes could allow for economies of scale. SB 5657 would streamline the permitting process for kit homes of less than 800 square feet, which he argues would offer the greatest appeal for inexpensive starter homes and public housing.

“Amid this housing crisis, we need to look at ways to encourage new affordable-home construction, and mass-produced kit homes offer a way to do it at low cost,” Wilson said. “My bill outlines the concept – a streamlined process that forces design review only once, allows local governments flexibility to decide what sort of housing they will accept, and does not interfere with local zoning and state land-use requirements.”

The bill was referred to the state Senate State Government and Elections Committee, where Wilson serves as the top Republican.