When Tacoma tossed out citywide single-family zoning and adopted Home in Tacoma, the predictions varied. Some thought they could hear the bulldozers starting their enginest. Others felt that nothing would change at all.
Twenty months on, we have actual numbers. The signals are mixed, and they're more interesting than either prediction.
The Numbers
The rules took effect February 1, 2025. The City's year-one review (February 2025 through January 2026) compared permit activity in the new Urban Residential zones against the prior five-year average:
- Permit applications were up 39%.
- Proposed housing units were up 62%.
That jump happened while permitting across the region was slowing down, which makes it more significant. The City's April report also found townhomes, duplexes, and multifamily projects now produce the most proposed units, while single-family applications hit a six-year low. ADUs remain popular.
But, then this part…
Proposed Is Not Built
Only about 8% of year-one permits had resulted in completed units when the City counted! According to Tacoma, most projects are still in the pipeline, and interest rates and construction costs affect when (whether?) builders break ground.
The second quarter of 2026 was the strongest yet, with 148 applications for 332 units. But 140 of those 148 were still in review. So applications are way up, finished homes are still arriving.
Where It's Happening
In year one, about 40% of permits landed in the North End and Eastside, with the Eastside, West End, and South End accounting for the largest shares of proposed units. By Q2 of this year, the City reported most activity in the South End, Central, and South Tacoma.
One caveat: this data covers only the Home in Tacoma zones. Downtown and the Mixed-Use Centers follow different rules.
What It Means If You Own a House
Under the new zoning, you can build up to two ADUs on a property. Depending on the zone, the code also allows rowhouses, backyard buildings, courtyard housing, house-plexes, and multiplexes. New parent lots can be as small as 2,500 square feet in the UR zones. Keep a tree, and you may earn smaller setbacks or added height. (Yes, the tree conversation and the zoning conversation are connected. See our post on the City's tree code.)
For an owner, that makes the lot itself more than a place to put the house. A big yard or a rear-alley lot might now be worth something it wasn't two years ago. We can't promise that translates to price, since every parcel is different and what you can actually build depends on zone, lot shape, utilities, and what the City signs off on.
What It Means If You're Buying
You may be moving next to a construction site, or next to a house that someday becomes three. Check what the zoning allows on the lots around you, not just the one you're buying. Then decide whether that sounds like a neighbor or an opportunity. For some buyers, an ADU-ready lot is the reason they bought it.
The Takeaway
Home in Tacoma is working, assuming you measure it by applications. Whether it brings us homes people can actually live in, that will take another year or two to know. The City says public dashboards on supply, choice, and affordability are coming soon.
You Might Also Like... The Accidental Landlord
