Lakewood, WA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Bonus at 50% AMI
- 1 extra market unit each
- Bonus at 30% AMI
- 1.5 extra market units each
- Density cap
- 25% above zone maximum
- Affordability term
- 20-year recorded covenant
- Applies to
- rental housing, most zones
Summary
Lakewood, Washington's Housing Incentives Program lets developers add extra market-rate units in exchange for building affordable ones. LMC 18A.90.050 grants one bonus market-rate unit for each unit affordable at 50 percent of area median income, and 1.5 bonus units for each unit at 30 percent AMI, up to 25 percent above the zone's maximum density, with a 20-year affordability covenant.
A. Rate and Calculation. In return for the inclusion of qualified units, one (1) additional on-site market-rate unit is permitted as a bonus for each qualified unit provided that is affordable at fifty (50) percent of area median income or less, and one and one-half (1.5) additional on-site market rate units are permitted as a bonus for each qualified unit provided that is affordable at thirty (30) percent of area median income or less, up to twenty-five (25) percent above the maximum density permitted in the underlying zoning district. ... B. Duration. Prior to the final approval of any land use application for which density bonuses are being sought, the owner of the affected parcels shall deliver to the City a duly executed covenant running with the land, in a form approved by the City Attorney, requiring that the qualified units created pursuant to this section shall remain as such for a period of at least twenty (20) years from the date of the certificate of occupancy or final building inspection.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 852, passed June 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
110 do not count against that exception), and it does not apply to congregate care or group living facilities. 050(A), a developer earns one additional on-site market-rate unit for every qualified unit affordable at 50 percent of area median income or below, and one and one-half additional market-rate units for every qualified unit affordable at 30 percent of area median income or below, up to a ceiling of 25 percent above the density otherwise allowed in the underlying zoning district. Before final approval of the land use application, the property owner must record a covenant, in a form the City Attorney approves, running with the land and requiring the qualified units to remain affordable for at least 20 years from the certificate of occupancy or final building inspection.
The qualified units must be integrated and dispersed throughout the project rather than segregated into one building or wing, must be proportionate in bedroom count to the market-rate units, and must match the market-rate units in architectural style and building materials. 055, and pairs the density bonus with development standard modifications and fee reductions elsewhere in the same chapter.
Violations & Fines
A recorded affordability covenant makes the 20-year restriction enforceable against the property regardless of ownership changes. Beyond the covenant itself, LMC 18A.20.105 makes noncompliance with any Title 18A land use approval, including conditions attached to a density bonus, a violation enforced by the City Manager as a Class 2 civil infraction under Chapter 1.48 LMC, and the Planning and Public Works Director may revoke the underlying permit for failure to meet its conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra density can a Lakewood project get for affordable housing?
How long must the affordable units stay affordable in Lakewood?
Does Lakewood's density bonus apply to a single-family home?
Can the affordable units in a Lakewood density-bonus project be clustered in one building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
Compare Lakewood to another location·View the Washington zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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Density Bonus Law in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle density bonus law.