Washington's HB2266 Forces Cities to Accept Homeless Addict Housing, Overriding Zoning Laws

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 2266 into law on March 27 at HopeWorks Station, an affordable housing complex in Everett, effectively ending local governments' ability to block permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and emergency shelters from residential neighborhoods statewide.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, requires cities and counties to allow what the legislature classifies as STEP housing (permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, and indoor emergency shelters) in any residential or hotel development zone within an urban growth area. Permit denials for these projects are now precluded under state law. The Senate passed HB2266 with 29 of 49 votes before the 2026 session closed March 12.

Critics say the bill moved through the legislature with little public scrutiny. The Discovery Institute's Marsha Michaelis, who focuses on the think tank's Fix Homelessness initiative, warned before passage that the law would override local ordinances and zoning laws and force cities and counties to allow public housing projects and emergency shelters into any residential zone with no local recourse. Change Washington, a conservative advocacy group, described the push as an effort to quietly slip through legislation that gives Seattle-area public housing organizations the power to operate in any community across the state.

Opponents point to existing Housing First facilities in Seattle as the template for what STEP housing looks like in practice: developments where active addiction is the norm, staff and residents face routine violence, and surrounding blocks absorb a disproportionate share of 911 calls. They argue the same Housing First model has driven Washington's homeless population up nearly 70% over the past decade while primarily generating revenue for nonprofit developers and builders rather than producing lasting outcomes for residents.

Ferguson signed HB2266 alongside a package of other housing-related legislation. The law takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the 2026 legislative session. For cities that have spent years carefully managing where and how homeless facilities are sited, that deadline is now fixed on the calendar.