Concerning an exemption for affordable housing.

SB 5747 exempts affordable housing projects from current state building code requirements, allowing cities and counties to enforce older building codes (the last four iterations) to lower construction costs and speed development. It directly affects developers and local governments building housing defined as affordable - rental units costing ≤30% of household income or owner-occupied housing for low/moderate-income households (≤80% of local median income). The bill amends Washington’s building code statutes (RCW 19.27 and 19.27A) to create this exemption specifically for affordable housing projects. This policy change aims to increase housing supply by reducing regulatory barriers for qualifying developments.