The state is in a housing crisis and it needs innovative solutions to the problem. That’s why Lt. Gov. Denny Heck and a bipartisan cadre of state lawmakers visited the Tri-Cities in early October.

“This community and its leaders fully recognize we have an acute and chronic housing shortage and are providing a lot of leadership,” Heck told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

Heck and lawmakers joined local government officials as well as industry and community leaders for a tour of current and proposed housing projects across the Tri-Cities, as well as a stop at Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, to see the effects of policy on building new housing, from available land to workforce demands.

“I think the biggest opportunity is that the individuals are getting to see the specific issue on the ground,” said Deborah Flagan, vice president for community engagement for builder Hayden Homes.

The state Department of Commerce estimates that more than a million homes will be needed in the state by 2044, particularly affordable ones for lower-income households. But builders and developers have decried extensive regulatory red tape and costs along with the growing cost of building materials and difficulty finding qualified workers to meet demand.

The Tri-City Development Council, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities organized the six-stop tour to show examples of the challenges facing builders and communities trying to build housing, as well as some of the innovative solutions to address the issues.

Tour stops included an affordable housing development in Richland, shrub-steppe landscape within West Richland’s urban growth boundary, and a 15-acre parcel of land controlled by the state Department of Natural Resources in west Pasco slated to be used by Habitat for Humanity.

State Rep. Mari Leavitt, a Democrat representing part of Pierce County, said she participated in a similar housing tour close to her district. She said it was good to see how housing challenges affect the east side of the state and how communities are seeking to overcome them.

“We’re not going to get there unless we have a continuum of (housing) options,” she said.

Heck said he wished every elected state lawmaker could have gone on the tour to get a real-life perspective of the state’s housing issues. He’s hopeful that the effort will motivate lawmakers to push through bills in the 2027 legislative session that can do something to alleviate the challenges facing builders and communities.

“We certainly had enough inspiration,” he said of the tour.