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US: Auburn City Council in Washington State has opened the way to coliving to increase the availability of affordable housing and different housing types, and to bring the city into conformity with recent state law.
Auburn planner Owen Goode said: “This will allow the new use to be permissible in the downtown urban center, residential moderate, residential high, mixed-use, heavy commercial and light industrial zones.”
State law says cities planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) such as Auburn must adopt regulations allowing coliving as a permitted use on lots in an urban growth area that allows at least six multifamily residential units, including on a lot zoned for mixed-use development.
Such cities must adopt or amend coliving housing standards by December 31, 2025. If the updates are not completed by then, the statutory requirements will supercede, preempt, and invalidate any conflicting local development regulations.
The new regulation “reflects the grim reality that it costs much more to buy a home in Washington and across the country than it did just a few years ago”. Housing is considered affordable if it costs less than 30 per cent of household income, but many pay 50 per cent or more.
Auburn’s ordinance does not establish room dimensional standards, nor does it require a mix of unit types, or require mixed-use or other uses as part of a coliving housing project. And it cannot require coliving housing to provide off-street parking when the project site is within one-half mile walking distance of a major transit stop or provide more than 25 % off-street parking spaces per sleeping unit.
Auburn’s Planning Commission reviewed and recommended approval of the coliving housing text amendment after a public hearing on Dec 2, 2025.
Highlights:
• Auburn City Council in Washington State has opened the way to coliving to increase the availability of affordable housing and different housing types, and to bring the city into conformity with recent state law
• State law says cities planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) such as Auburn must adopt regulations allowing coliving as a permitted use on lots in an urban growth area that allows at least six multifamily residential units, including on a lot zoned for mixed-use development
• Auburn’s ordinance does not establish room dimensional standards, nor does it require a mix of unit types, or require mixed-use or other uses as part of a coliving housing project
