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Washington Senate Approves Tiny House Bill

Inhabitat/Flickr Creative Commons

The Washington Senate today [Wednesday] approved a bill that allows cities and towns to write rules that govern tiny houses.

The goal, according to the bill’s sponsor, is to encourage people who want to build small, affordable housing units.

“We all know of the need for more affordable housing in our state and we desperately need new housing options. This is a new housing option. It is not one that is going to deliver us completely from our affordable housing crisis, that’s for sure," said Sen. Hans Zeiger (R-Snohomish County).

His bill would allow local municipalities to develop their own tiny house ordinances. But it would forbid them from imposing rules that prohibit tiny homes on wheels in manufactured housing parks.

The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives.