Innovative tools and state funding help communities plan for low-income and emergency housing

Innovative tools and state funding help communities plan for low-income and emergency housing

• July 18, 2024
• Commerce News, Press Releases

Seven community partnerships awarded $220,000 in growth management grants to plan for and accommodate projected housing needs

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington State Department of Commerce is publishing new planning tools and awarding a second round of grant funding to support communities across Washington in planning for the future housing needs of low-income and at-risk families and individuals. The department also today announced a new round of grant awards to support this work.

Washington is projected to need more than 1.1 million new housing units over the next 20 years, with half of these units needed to house vulnerable residents earning less than half of their area median income. With both Growth Management Act comprehensive plans and 5-year county homelessness plans coming due at nearly the same time, these grants and tools will support critical planning efforts between regional partners when they are needed most.

"Housing security, especially for our most vulnerable residents, is top of mind for many communities across the state," said Commerce Director Mike Fong. "These new tools and grants empower local communities to proactively address future low-income housing needs. By equipping communities with the means to address housing challenges head-on, we build stronger neighborhoods and lay the foundation for a more equitable future."

Planning Tools

Commerce is publishing a first-of-its-kind toolkit to help guide local governments to meet the housing needs of their lowest income residents.

The Growth Management Act instructs local governments to "plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all income levels" and to update their development regulations with respect to emergency shelters, transitional housing, emergency housing and permanent supportive housing, collectively known as STEP.

To assist cities and counties in integrating effective STEP planning into local regulations, Commerce worked with Abt Associates and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) to develop a portfolio of new guidance documents and tools:

• STEP Model ordinance, User Guide and Best Practice Report to help local jurisdictions develop their own ordinances.
• STEP State of the Practice Reportto summarize best practices and existing local practices for the siting and development of emergency housing, emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing and transitional housing.
• Four STEP case studieson successful local implementation from King County and the cities of Spokane, Vancouver, and Wenatchee.
• STEP Communications toolkitto help jurisdictions communicate the benefits, challenges, and best practices associated with STEP.

Grant awards announced

In addition to the new planning tools, Commerce is awarding an additional $220,000 in Coordinated Low-Income Housing Planning (CLIHP) grants to seven community partnerships to support coordination of land use planning and homeless services planning.

View the latest list of grant awards (PDF)

With these new CLIHP grants, Commerce has awarded $460,000 across 13 counties. Each city or county-led partnership will use the funds to coordinate resources and plan for their lowest income housing needs, including residents experiencing homelessness.

"Small cities in Washington, like Poulsbo, have an obligation to plan for and accommodate STEP housing for their residents, but it's difficult for us to do alone," said Housing, Health and Human Services Director for the City of Poulsbo Kimberly Hendrickson. "The CLIHP grant gives us the opportunity to work with county government and the neighboring city of Bainbridge Island to explore STEP options and establish shared goals."

More grants available

There is more CLIHP funding available. The grant application period remains open until funds are expended. Eligible applicants can receive up to $25,000 to support planning efforts to address their low-income housing needs.

For more details, see the CLIHP grant instructions. Please submit any questions and funding applications to Laura Hodgson at [email protected].

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