Everett shares info on draft five-year housing affordability plan
EVERETT — Everett city staff shared information at a Sept. 24 council meeting on a plan the city is drafting to address affordable housing challenges across the city.
The five-year plan, known as the 2026-2030 Housing Strategy, would create a list of actions the city could take to improve housing conditions in Everett. Those could range from efforts like expanding public-private partnerships or streamlining the permit process to more ambitious ideas like studying a local housing levy or the development of a social housing program.
Actions the city could take through 2030 include developing a plan to grow the amount of shelter space in the city, expanding coordination with faith groups, preparing a new housing finance strategy, updating its multifamily tax exemption program and developing a platform to analyze displacement risk, among others.
Other ways Everett hopes to improve the housing market include efforts city representatives are taking to revise condominium liability laws in Washington. State laws that intended to protect condo owners from faulty construction led to a number of lawsuits against construction companies, raising insurance premiums for homebuilders. That rise in insurance costs meant construction of new condos — an affordable form of housing for first-time buyers — slowed in recent years.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everett-shares-info-on-draft-five-year-housing-affordability-plan/