HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item 9c--Affordable Housing Subcommittee ReportAgenda Item #9c – Affordable Housing Subcommittee Report for Report to BoCC
Affordable Housing Subcommittee Annual Report
Jefferson County Planning Commission
Matt Sircely, Jan 3, 2023
The JCPC Affordable Housing Subcommittee was formed by a vote of the
commission in response to public comments during the 2018 Comprehensive Plan
Periodic Update Cycle as captured in the 2016 document entitled Jefferson County
Comprehensive Plan Update Summary of Public Comments and Feedback June
–November 2016. The commission also received comments in subsequent years
and created a subcommittee to first examine existing efforts in our community to
address housing and affordability issues, and then to identify additional potential
solutions. The subcommittee worked with the intention of achieving consistency
with our Comprehensive Plan and all provisions of the Growth Management Act.
After issuing a report to the Planning Commission on Jan 5, 2022, the
subcommittee has refined its approach to the same themes over the past year.
Comprised of Commissioners Coker (D1), Llewellyn (D3), and Sircely (D2), our
report listed four items for consideration, beginning with the most readily feasible:
First, we identified the boardinghouse code as an opportunity for modernization and
adaptation to expand applicability to more zoning classifications. The boardinghouse
framework can be applicable to worker housing in many areas by helping people
live in or near to their respective zones of employment.
Secondly, we identified the prioritization of facilities serving the community such as
public water resources in rural areas, and amenities supporting the live-aboard
tenants in our ports. The provision of public services helps to maintain aspects of
affordability for some, and can facilitate the continuation of longstanding housing
solutions in localized zones. In some cases, public and community efforts to provide
services can reduce overall demand for new services.
Third, we suggested proactively re-examining health-related requirements to
explore more ecologically advanced, often affordable solutions around the
management of greywater, solid waste, and human waste. Updating our code could
increase affordability while also creating pathways for new integrated systems to
better benefit the environment, such as by conserving water or fixing more soil
carbon. Such considerations may require specific updates to statewide rulemaking.
Our report also postulated that adaptations of county policies can be applied to
specific zones to guide ecologically-advanced, low-impact development projects.
For example, our Critical Areas Ordinance guidelines may be applicable outside of
“critical areas”. In particular, updated PRRD code and revised Farmworker Housing
regulations might benefit from consideration of ecological guidelines as a way to
Agenda Item #9c – Affordable Housing Subcommittee Report for Report to BoCC
strengthen proposals and/or offer targeted incentives.
Underlying our proposals is the notion that lower-impact housing solutions can
assist with maintaining the character of rural areas by incorporating diversities of
incomes, essential for supporting rural uses of working lands. Likewise, designated
urban and industrial areas can benefit from low-impact housing proposals and
related incentives. An essential part of compliance with GMA is ensuring close
attention to public input and how our Comprehensive Plan delineates the functions
and qualities of the separate zoning classifications.
Non-profits and community organizations are excellent choices as avenues for
administration and verification of project goals. Many local organizations have
beneficial experience and existing affordability models, and affordable housing
advocates point out that codification of housing affordability over time is essential
to prevent runaway pricing.
Members of the subcommittee note that new development on private or commercial
lands does not necessarily need to add to the overall service demand — some
practices can even contribute elements of essential services, such as renewable
energy. Likewise, new development does not necessarily need to adversely impact
overall soil health, water quality, or the capacity to sequester and store carbon.
Zone-specific incentives can drive developments to achieve low-impact, and even
positive results around a certain goal. Integrated pathways to affordable housing
solutions, tailored to each specific zone, can aid the localized goals and policies as
established in our Comprehensive Plan.