The housing crisis in Chelan and Douglas counties is impacting everyone, one way or another.
Affordable and attainable housing is defined as housing options that are within the financial reach of all individuals and families.
The people who serve our community, at all levels, are increasingly unable to live where they work. In some cases, they move elsewhere.
Businesses and other employers are unable to fill positions because prospective employees can’t find a place to live or find the costs too high.
Even our seniors, who in some cases have lived and worked here for decades, can no longer afford to reside in their community.
Affordable and attainable housing is a multifaceted issue that requires innovative solutions and collaboration across all sectors.
It is getting more challenging for people to afford homes in our region.
Housing is considered affordable if a household is paying no more than 30% of their gross income on rent or a mortgage. Thus, what is affordable varies by each family’s income. Some calculations include basic utility costs, though many do not account for transportation and other needs.
Modeled on similar efforts in Europe, social housing is publicly owned rental housing with the goal of integrating renters across the economic spectrum and shifting more housing away from private-market ownership. Unlike some other forms of affordable housing, social housing does not rely on federal tax credits and remains affordable in perpetuity.
Matt Bedsole is not a normal investor. He is the CEO of Invest Chattanooga, a fund set up by the city of 200,000 to invest in local apartment projects. Unlike private equity firms — the main backers of new construction — he judges deals not solely on their financial return but also on how much housing they can deliver the city.
After a split discussion, the City of Leavenworth has decided to table a conceptual idea to transform the Leavenworth Golf Course property into a multi-use space with affordable housing units.
The concept, titled “A BIG Idea,” was submitted in response to the Housing Advisory Committee’s (HAC) request for affordable housing ideas.
The Chelan City Council unanimously adopted three measures updating the city’s affordable housing code, aligning local rules with changes in Washington law and allowing more flexibility in how housing funds can be used.
City Finance Director Heidi Evans described the changes as largely administrative. But taken together, they remove limits that had made Chelan’s rules more restrictive than state guidelines.
As the need for housing has grown increasingly urgent throughout the region, local and state regulations have been expanding to allow homeowners to add to their properties. So, what do these new micro homes look like, and how exactly are they used? More importantly, what do they signal about the future of domestic space in our city?
A bill intended to limit cities’ power to block housing for people who are homeless has cleared the Washington state Legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature.
House Bill 2266 would prohibit cities from placing additional restrictions on permanent supportive housing in areas where residential housing is allowed and would limit the restrictions they could place on emergency shelter projects.
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