Home In Tacoma
The Home In Tacoma Zoning and Standards package is now in effect. Approved by the City Council in November 2024, the new zoning regulations introduce Urban Residential zones to expand housing options, allowing for a broader range of housing types, including backyard cottages, rowhouses, and others, in Tacoma neighborhoods. It also updates parking rules, promotes tree preservation, and enables flexible lot use. The new zoning regulations went into effect on February 1, 2025.
See below for more information and accompanying resources to learn more about developing under the new regulations.
Home in Tacoma – Helpful Links and Summaries
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Potential applicants are encouraged to review the Tacoma Permits website and contact staff to clarify any project-specific questions. Visit www.TacomaPermits.org for more information.
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- Preapproved Detached Accessory Dwelling Units
- Planning and Development Services offers pre-approved detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) plans for use within the City of Tacoma jurisdiction. There are four base models, designed to fit adopted Home In Tacoma zoning standards, with different roof types, siding styles, and ground floor dwellings meeting visitability design standards.
- Solid Waste Manual
- The Solid Waste Management Guide is a resource for architects, designers and developers in the design, development, and implementation of waste-related spaces in all contexts, from single-family residences and duplexes to apartment buildings and brick and mortar commercial spaces. This guide includes Home In Tacoma development and design standards, including walkability, preservation of neighborhood identity, and an engaging public realm.
- Solid Waste Management Guidelines
- Urban Forest Manual
- The Urban Forest Manual (UFM) is a technical guide created to facilitate the planning, design, installation, and maintenance of landscaping that is required for new development and redevelopment per the Tacoma Municipal Code, Title 13.06.090.B, Landscaping Standards.
- Preapproved Detached Accessory Dwelling Units
Home in Tacoma and the Affordable Housing Action Strategy
The Home in Tacoma initiative that began in 2019 is directly linked to the City’s Affordable Housing Action Strategy (AHAS). The legislative package of amended zoning and standards approved by the City Council in November 2024 is most closely linked to AHAS Objective 1: The creation of new affordable housing. Learn more about the full Affordable Housing Action Strategy and other initiatives and efforts by the City to address the affordable housing gap in Tacoma on the Affordable Housing Action Strategy web page.
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Many communities, including Tacoma, are working on addressing housing challenges now. Here are resources to inform Tacoma’s efforts.
- Housing Choices Survey Analysis DRAFT
- Affordable Housing Planning Resources (WA Dept. of Commerce)
- Housing Action Plan Grant Agreement
- How We Got Here: A Reckoning With U.S. and Tacoma History
- Tacoma Civil Rights Project: Remembering Our Past, Reshaping Our Destiny
- Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health and Housing Equity
- Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2050 – Housing Chapter (draft)
- PSRC Regional Housing Strategy
- PSRC Housing Innovations Program
- Inclusionary Upzoning: Tying Growth to Affordability (Robert Hickey 2014)
- Missing Middle Housing (Opticos Design)