Concerning the housing finance commission.
HB 2236 clarifies that Washington's Housing Finance Commission cannot compete with private lenders by offering home loans to individual buyers for single-family homes. The bill explicitly prohibits the Commission from originating or making residential mortgage loans for owner-occupied housing (except for down payment assistance programs), redirecting its focus to multifamily and nonowner-occupied housing financing. It amends existing law to ensure the Commission acts as a financial conduit for affordable housing projects without replacing private mortgage services. The changes aim to streamline financing for rental housing while preserving the role of licensed lenders in the residential mortgage market.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 2, 2026
Last action Feb 19, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Bill
→
Substitute Bill
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renamed to a substitute version and now explicitly clarifies that the Housing Finance Commission cannot act as a retail mortgage lender competing with private banks. It adds a new section prohibiting the commission from making loans to individuals for owner-occupied single-family homes or refinancing, except for specific down-payment assistance programs. This change restricts the commission's lending authority to multifamily and non-owner-occupied housing to preserve the role of private lenders.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed regarding direct lending; the commission is now explicitly barred from originating residential mortgage loans for owner-occupied single-family housing.
SCOPE
Added a new section stating the Housing Finance Commission is not intended to function as a retail mortgage lender and cannot compete with private financial institutions.
ELIGIBILITY
Added a specific prohibition preventing the commission from originating or making residential mortgage loans directly to individuals for owner-occupied single-family housing purchases or refinancing.
Modified the commission's general lending powers to exclude loans for owner-occupied residential home purchases or refinancing, with the exception of down-payment assistance programs.
REQUIREMENT
Updated the commission's authority to set standards for loans to mortgage lenders to ensure consistency with the new lending restrictions.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
18
Key actions
10
Committee
12
Feb 9, 2026
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
CB - Majority; do pass 1st substitute bill proposed by Housing.
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 8:30 AM.
lower
Feb 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 8:00 AM.
lower
Feb 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 4:00 PM.
lower
Jan 27, 2026
Committee
Referred to Capital Budget.
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Housing at 8:30 AM.
lower
Jan 15, 2026
Lower · Passed
Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Housing at 9:00 AM.
lower
Jan 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Housing at 4:00 PM.
lower
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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