MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
SUBJECT:
title
Housing Action Plan - Housing Needs Assessment Project
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Receive a report from ECONorthwest on the Housing Needs Assessment Report findings.
body
II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Carol Helland, Director 425-556-2107
Beverly Mesa-Zendt, AICP, Interim Deputy Director 425-556-2423
Brooke Buckingham, Senior Human Services Planner 425-556-2416
Sarah Stiteler, AICP, Senior Human Services Planner 425-556-2469
Ian Lefcourte, AICP, Long Range Planning Planner 425-556-2438
Planning and Community Development Department
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
The Housing Action Plan (HAP) project is well underway and remains on schedule, with a set of key deliverables informing the development and adoption of actionable strategies by spring of next year (2021).
The City’s consultant, ECONorthwest, has completed the Housing Needs Assessment Report which includes:
• An inventory of existing conditions (e.g. cost burden data, housing production trends, and community demographics);
• Forecast for housing demand; and
• Housing needs and gaps, which combines underproduction data and projected demand data.
Calculating the housing shortage in Redmond involves quantifying both the:
• Current demand for housing; and
• Expected housing demand based on anticipated population growth.
To date, various targets have been set to accommodate growth and associated housing demand, as required by the state’s Growth Management Act and Countywide Planning Policies.
The study session will provide an informational briefing on the background and findings of the Housing Needs Assessment component of the Housing Action Plan Project. The study session presentation will be led by ECONorthwest. Results related to housing need, production, and affordability, will be shared. Council will be briefed on how the findings of the Housing Needs Assessment will lay the groundwork for upcoming policy analysis and ultimately the development of the Housing Action Plan strategies and recommendations.
IV. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HELD
• July 14, 2020: Planning and Public Works\Committee of the Whole overview of the project timeline and scheduled Council engagements.
• July 21, 2020: Presentation on the Housing Needs Assessment Methodology
V. IMPACT
A. Service/Delivery:
Strategies for addressing the identified housing gaps will be presented as part of the overall housing action plan later this year.
B. Fiscal Note:
Funding for this project has been provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce HB 1923 grant ($100,000) awarded in 2019.
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
None at this time.
VII. TIME CONSTRAINTS
To comply with the Department of Commerce grant guidelines, the Housing Action Plan must be adopted by Council no later than April 2021.
VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Housing Needs Assessment Presentation
Attachment B - Housing Needs Assessment Report