Housing Developer Portal
City of Tacoma
Developer Information
Plans & Polices
The following plans at the City of Tacoma guide housing development in the City.
Development Incentives
The City of Tacoma provides the following incentives for affordable housing:
- Priority Review Policy for affordable housing
- TMC 1.39: Affordable Housing Incentives and Bonuses
- Find more information on the City’s website
- See also: TMC 13.06.040.G and TMC 13.06.050.F.6 for information on height and FAR bonuses for affordable housing
- Pre-Application Fee Waivers for eligible affordable housing projects from non-profit developers, valued at $1500
The City of Tacoma provides these other incentives for development:
- Multifamily Property Tax Exemption (MFTE): Eligible in all Residential Target Areas (RTA) within the City, including the City’s Mixed-Use Centers and Downtown
- TMC 13.06.040.G: Options for Height Bonus (mixed-use centers)
- TMC 13.06.050.F.6: Options for FAR Increases (downtown)
- TMC 13.06.050.F.7: FAR increase for Transfer of Development Rights (downtown)
- TMC 13.06.090.C: Reduced parking requirements
- Area-wide SEPA approval for subarea plans listed under “Plans & Policies” above
- The City does not have impact fees for transportation, schools, parks, or fire
- The City of Tacoma does not have a design review process at this time
For LIHTC developers:
- The following census tracts in the City of Tacoma are defined by HUD as Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) in 2024: 616.01, 616.02, 634.02, 635.02, 602.00, 610.02, 614.00, 628.01, 634.01, 9400.06
- The following ZCTAs in the City of Tacoma are defined by HUD as Small Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) in 2024: 98422
Permitting
| Development regulations | Tacoma Municipal Code TacomaPermits.org Resource Library City of Tacoma Building Code Library City of Tacoma Right-of-Way Design Manual City of Tacoma Stormwater Management Manual |
| Maps | City of Tacoma DART Map |
| Permitting interface | City of Tacoma – Accela |
| Planning and development fee schedules, including connection fees | PDS Fee Schedule TacomaPermits.org Building Permit Fee Estimator |
Timelines:
Actual Levels of Service: https://www.tacomapermits.org/permit-status
Goal levels of service:
| Typical Land Use Entitlement Timeline | Typical Building Permit Timeline | |
| 1-4 units | 4 Weeks (first review) 2 Weeks (second review) | 4 Weeks (first review) 2 Weeks (second review) |
| 5 or more units | 8 Weeks (first review) 4 Weeks (second review) | 8 Weeks (first review) 4 Weeks (second review) |
Utilities & Fire
| Fire | Tacoma Fire Department |
| Water | Tacoma Public Utilities |
| Power | Tacoma Public Utilities |
| Sewer | City of Tacoma Environmental Services – Wastewater Management Find a map of sewer lines here. |
Funding for Affordable Housing
Each year the City has funding opportunities for affordable housing developers. Find more information online here.
For more information, contact Heidi Burbidge at hburbidge@cityoftacoma.org.