Candidates put housing, rural flexibility at center of regional legislative forum

WENATCHEE — Candidates from three state legislative districts returned repeatedly to the same argument during a Sept. 17 forum in Wenatchee: Policies designed around Puget Sound do not always fit rural Washington.

The distinction surfaced in discussions of housing, construction, infrastructure, broadband, education and public services as candidates from the 7th, 12th and 13th legislative districts answered questions developed by members of Thriving Together NCW’s inaugural Legislative Advocacy Fellowship.

The forum was held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Mercantile on Wenatchee Avenue.

Rep. Mike Steele, a Republican representing the 12th District, described the divide early in the evening.

“It’s very rarely partisan issues that divide us, it’s usually urban versus rural issues that divide us,” Steele said.

The 12th District received particular attention because its boundaries cross the Cascade Mountains, encompassing most of Chelan County and extending west into Snohomish and King counties.

Republican Rep. Brian Burnett and Democratic challenger Stacy Willoughby, who are competing for the district’s House Position 1 seat, joined Steele at the forum. Steele is seeking reelection to Position 2. His Democratic challenger, Maggie Adams, was not able to attend.

Asked what policy changes could make an immediate difference in affordable housing, Willoughby began with supply.

“We need more supply,” she said.

Willoughby called for easier permitting, fewer regulations that do not fit rural communities and greater acceptance of modular, prefabricated and other alternative forms of housing. She also connected housing availability to workforce development, arguing that expanded building-trades apprenticeships could create well-paying careers without requiring young people to assume student-loan debt.

When candidates were later asked how legislators could improve rural communities’ access to general contractors, Willoughby said the state should allow communities greater freedom to develop multigenerational housing, co-living arrangements and options between detached homes and large apartment buildings.

“The more regulation we have, the less creativity we allow for,” Willoughby said.

Steele pointed to nearly $1 billion placed into the state Housing Trust Fund during the previous biennium but said funding alone could not overcome the regulatory and administrative obstacles limiting construction.

He questioned requirements that add costs to new housing, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, and said tiny homes in the Seattle market could cost more than $540 per square foot. Steele also advocated making the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) permanent in state law rather than continuing it through temporary budget language.

On the shortage of contractors, Steele emphasized high school apprenticeships and locally developed career pipelines. He also said statewide debates over the carbon impact of steel, concrete and wood could increase material costs for contractors in Chelan, Douglas and Grant counties, where much of the electricity is already generated by hydropower.

Burnett also blamed housing costs largely on state mandates and regulations. He said legislators should listen to builders and other subject-matter experts who understand which requirements increase costs or drive businesses out of Washington.

He said rules that may be workable in Seattle or elsewhere in the Puget Sound region might not suit Chelan County.

The candidates offered a sharper contrast when asked how state government should help residents participate in civic life.

Burnett spoke broadly about education, hope and partnerships among governments, nonprofits and faith-based organizations. He said government could establish useful programs but could not provide every service communities need.

Willoughby described door-knocking across the geographically divided district and said elected officials should meet residents where they are through town halls, classroom visits and direct conversations.

Steele characterized accessibility as a central responsibility of a legislator, saying lawmakers should bring residents into committee hearings, meetings and the legislative process.

“You are the barrier breaker,” Steele said. “That is your role in representative government.”

In the 7th District Senate race, Republican incumbent Shelly Short and independent challenger Ronald McCoy also emphasized local control and rural flexibility.

Short pointed to the state Public Works Trust Fund as an essential source of water and wastewater infrastructure financing for small communities. She criticized the diversion of money from the fund for other purposes and said rural jurisdictions often cannot finance major infrastructure improvements alone.

On broadband, Short discussed state investments intended to reach underserved areas but said administrative decisions had slowed the distribution of money and made it more difficult to work with telecommunications companies. She recalled residents relying on school parking lots for internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

McCoy, a former mayor and city council member from Chewelah, argued that decisions should remain closer to the communities affected. He proposed converting vacant commercial buildings into housing for veterans and repeatedly returned to a simple formulation.

“One size does not fit all,” McCoy said.

The 13th District candidates included Republican Rep. Tom Dent and Democratic challenger Juan “Jerry” Garcia, who are competing for House Position 1, along with Republican Deanna Martinez, a candidate for Position 2.

One question asked how the state could expand affordable, ADA-accessible housing in rural areas for families raising children with disabilities or special health care needs. Although the question was repeated twice, the candidates largely moved to broader discussions of housing regulation, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), landlord law, transportation and the overall cost of living.

Dent discussed permitting, zoning, the Climate Commitment Act and his inability to divide his own property for a family member. Martinez referred to “ADA dwelling units” as a possible option for seniors seeking to leave larger homes. Garcia focused on transportation, landlord-tenant issues and living expenses.

None identified a specific proposal centered on accessible housing for the families described in the question.

The 13th District candidates found more common ground when discussing education and workforce preparation. Dent and Martinez called for greater support for community colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships and technical education. Garcia discussed using state revenue and grant programs to help communities retain residents and attract businesses.

Across the three districts, candidates differed over which regulations should be changed, where money should be directed and how lawmakers should approach the work. The more consistent agreement was geographic: Rural communities need room to solve problems differently.

For the candidates gathered in Wenatchee, the central disagreement was less about whether rural Washington differs from the west side than about what each of them would do with that distinction.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media