The City of Tacoma has received a $70,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. This grant funding allows for an independent audit of the City’s existing residential development regulations. The City expects to have a consultant under contract in early 2027, with the regulation audit beginning shortly after. The project will result in a prioritized set of recommended changes to City code and permitting procedures, along with a roadmap to implementing those changes.
An analysis of the City’s permit data indicates that the main factor influencing the timeline for a residential building permit is not the first review, but the number of re-submittals applicants must go through before receiving a permit. The audit will pay close attention to the regulations and procedures driving those re-submittals alongside other barriers to timely review.
Tacoma was one of eight jurisdictions selected statewide from 60 applications requesting a total of $3.7 million. In notifying the City of the award, the Washington State Department of Commerce cited Tacoma’s “strong readiness” and “clear plan” for process improvements.
“Tacoma needs more housing, and receiving this grant to improve our permitting systems is a key step to help developers, both big and small, build homes faster and for less money,” said Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen. “Thank you to the Washington State Department of Commerce for awarding us the grant, and to the exceptional City staff for their work in securing the grant.”
“Permitting is a vital part of development and not one that we can afford to get wrong,” said At-Large Council Member Latasha Palmer. “I’m grateful for all the various City staff who work on permitting and strive for a quick turnaround because I frequently hear from developers that permit timelines have a large impact on the viability of their projects. This opportunity to take a closer look at our permit process is a great way to make sure permit timelines are not a barrier to development in Tacoma. I look forward to seeing the set of recommendations that emerge from this work.”
“Through Home in Tacoma, we’ve done the important work of allowing more types of housing in more parts of our city,” said District 1 Council Member John Hines. “Now, we need to make sure we can move more quickly from allowing housing to actually getting homes built. This grant will help us take a close look at our regulations and permitting processes, identify where we can remove unnecessary barriers, and continue building a system that makes it easier for more people to create housing and make a home in Tacoma.”
“Every single thing we do as a city to improve quality of life is made more difficult by the sheer lack of housing in Tacoma,” said District 4 Council Member Sandesh Sadalge. “Whether we’re talking about police, fire, homelessness response, library services, or our court systems, a lack of reliable and consistent housing makes these challenges harder to solve. We have not been producing housing at the pace our growth requires, and we need to look honestly at the barriers under our control. This grant gives us an opportunity to take a hard look at our permitting process and identify meaningful improvements.”
More information about the City’s permitting process is available at tacoma.gov/permits.