3/4/2023
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The Spokesman-Review
KXLY
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The Spokesman-Review
SEATTLE – Just how much new construction is necessary to meet our region’s housing shortage? Spokane County needs about 71,000 new homes built over the next two decades to keep up with demand, according to new state projections.
In other areas of the state, the need is even greater. King County would need to see nearly 337,000 new homes over that same time period, according to the Washington Department of Commerce.
And clearing the way for private developers to build thousands more market-rate homes will not be enough to meet that need. More than half of the new homes in Spokane and King counties need to be affordable to people making less than 50% of area median income, or $29,450 for a single person in Spokane County, the state Department of Commerce said Thursday.
The need for new housing spans the entire state. All told, Washington will need 1.1 million new homes over the next 20 years, or about 55,000 per year, according to the projections.
That’s a higher level of building than the state has seen in recent years. In the last decade, Census data shows Washington has added an average of about 35,000 housing units per year. In 2021, the state added about 43,000 units.
Washington will also need more than 91,000 additional units of emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness, according to the projections.
“I’m not surprised by the numbers,” said Metropolitan King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, who has served on county task forces focused on affordable housing. But, she added, “they’re daunting numbers.”
The projections released Thursday are part of new requirements that cities “plan and accommodate” for housing growth at all income levels. Gov. Jay Inslee and Democrats in Olympia have cited the need for new housing as they push for allowing more duplexes, fourplexes and six-plexes in single-family neighborhoods.
That bill, HB 1110, is awaiting a vote in the state House of Representatives.
Affordable housing advocates say the state must also boost funding for subsidized rentals and homeownership opportunities.
Three in 10 Washington households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to federal data from 2015-19 that includes homeowners and renters.
Given the demand, “many communities will need to change the way they plan for housing and plan for more apartments, condominiums, moderate density housing such as middle housing, and accessory dwelling units,”
Dave Andersen, managing director of the Department of Commerce’s growth management services unit, said in a statement.
The need for new homes will cross all income levels.
King County, where the median price for a detached single-family home or townhouse is more than $780,000, will need nearly 340,000 new homes total over the next 20 years. That includes about 60,000 shelter beds, 179,000 homes for people making less than half of area median income and 95,000 homes for people making 120% of area median income (about $109,000 for a single person).
Spokane County will need nearly 3,000 shelter beds, 38,000 homes for people making less than half of area median income and 16,594 homes for people making 120% of area median income (about $70,700 for a single person).
Cities across the region are likely to see more growth. According to preliminary county projections, Seattle will need about 112,000 total new units and Bellevue will need about 35,000.
Of the more affordable homes countywide, the state estimates about 43,000 will need to be permanent supportive housing, subsidized rentals that include services for people who were previously homeless and typically rely on government funding to build. That funding will need to come from state and federal sources, Balducci said.
“We know that we are way behind in producing enough housing to meet the need in our county,”
Balducci said. “And we also know that we are particularly far behind in meeting the need for housing at the lower ends of affordability.”
According to Washington Department of Commerce, in the next 20 years, Spokane County will need ...
38,000 HOMES FOR PEOPLE MAKING LESS THAN HALF OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME
3,000 HOMELESS SHELTER BEDS
16,594 HOMES FOR PEOPLE MAKING 120% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME
Staff writer Kip Hill contributed to this report.
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KXLY
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Another business is closing its doors in downtown Spokane, and it's moving to the South Hill after being at the location for 19 years. The Man Shop says it's had enough of crime and homelessness in the area.
The owners say it was a tough decision, but ultimately, the safety of their staff and the loss of clientele helped them make the change.
"The decision to move out of downtown is probably one of the best things we've done," barber Jeremy Masters said.
The Man Shop is located downtown on Third and Division. It's located just one block up from what used to be a Starbucks, but closed because of the same problems in the fall.
Back in January, Redemption Church right in between the two said it would also be relocating.
The barbershop will be relocating to 4408 South Regal on the South Hill at the end of April.
Staff say their clients have been harassed and people are even sitting outside of the shop, asking people for money.
"A lot of them are really nice, some of them are more aggressive. It's just been really bad down here," Masters said.
Masters says he's seen the homeless hanging behind Redemption Church, and sometimes even starting fires. Women on his staff even feel unsafe walking to their cars at night.
"I'm usually the closer, so I take out the garbage and stuff. A lot of girls don't feel safe going to their cars stuff like that. A lot of times I'll walk them to their cars, also we have a lot of people walking around in the parking lot at night," he said.
Down about a block at SCE Fitness, the owner says he's had no serious problems, but knows there's drug use and a lot of homeless in the area.
He takes a different approach to deal with the homeless.
"There's a lot of people that want to be listened to, and I think that's the key for us to kind of take our time out of the day not matter what that is,' KJ Davis owner of SCE Fitness.
Davis says he doesn't necessarily offer them money but sometimes food, and coffee.
"We're a light in the midst of some hardships, and so we just need to continue to be here until we're not supposed to be," Davis said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Woodward says 2021 police reform laws spiked crime levels. The city says its addressing those impacts.
"One of the things we're doing is emphasis patrols in the area, and that has been very, very effective. We also changed our police staffing model, so we have doubled our patrols in the downtown area," Woodward said.
Woodward says officers arrested 77 people for illegal camping in January. Woodward says she's also advocating for more state funding to put more officers on the streets. She says the department needs about 90 to 100 officers.
Four News Now reached out to Lisa Brown's campaign who is running for mayor. Her campaign said she'll begin sharing her approach in the coming weeks, but declined to interview Friday.