COBI chosen by Commerce for Housing Accountability Act review process
Published 1:30 am Monday, January 19, 2026
The city of Bainbridge Island received notice Jan. 13 from the Washington State Department of Commerce that it has been selected for the Housing Accountability Act (HAA) Selected Review process.
In 2025, the Legislature adopted the HAA (E2SSB 5148), establishing review processes to help jurisdictions bring local housing plans and regulations into compliance with state law, per a COBI news release. The HAA Selected Review is a state-led process that provides technical assistance to support jurisdictions in updating their Comprehensive Plan housing element and related development regulations to meet Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements. Commerce may select up to 10 jurisdictions statewide each calendar year for Selected Review, based on criteria outlined in RCW 36.70A.835.
In this first year of the program, Commerce selected from jurisdictions whose 2024 periodic Comprehensive Plan updates were due on or before Dec. 31, 2024, and that have not yet planned for and accommodated their portion of countywide housing needs as required by state law. Commerce identified eight jurisdictions for Selected Review: Bainbridge Island, Beaux Arts Village, Brier, Carnation, Darrington, DuPont, Gold Bar, and Woodway, the release says.
Per Commerce, jurisdictions selected for review generally fall into one or more of these categories:
• Did not submit a draft Comprehensive Plan for review and did not adopt a plan by the statutory deadline.
• Submitted a draft plan that was inconsistent with state housing element requirements and did not adopt a plan.
• Adopted a Comprehensive Plan, but the housing element remains inconsistent with state requirements after Commerce review and comment.
What Selected Review means
As part of the Selected Review process, Commerce will contact city staff later this month to begin technical discussions, with the goal of supporting adoption of a housing element and associated development regulations consistent with state requirements.
“We understand the importance of meeting the state’s housing planning requirements, and we are taking focused action,” said BI Mayor Clarence Moriwaki. “The council has adopted a time-bound work plan to complete the Comprehensive Plan update by June 30, 2026, and council, the Planning Commission, and city staff are working diligently to complete the update and meet our state-mandated requirements.”
The city is awaiting additional information from Commerce regarding next steps, the release concludes.
