Title
Approval of a Resolution Authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with the Thurston Regional Planning Council to Facilitate a Regional Housing Allocations Process
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) to facilitate a regional housing allocations process.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a resolution authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with the Thurston Regional Planning Council to facilitate a regional process to allocate state-assigned housing forecast to Thurston County and its cities for comprehensive planning purposes.
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Director, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8206
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
In 2021, the Washington State Legislature approved an amendment to RCW 36.70A.070(2), a section of the Growth Management Act (GMA), requiring local governments to “plan and accommodate” for housing affordable to all income levels.
Per the new state requirements, the Washington State Department of Commerce has completed an assessment of total housing needs in each county for moderate, low, very low and extremely low-income households, and for emergency housing, emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing. This total housing need must now be allocated across the county and its cities. Pursuant to RCW 36.70A.130(5) all jurisdictions within Thurston County will need to review and revise their comprehensive plans by June 30, 2025, to address these new housing allocation requirements.
The Department of Commerce has also created guidance and tools for allocating assigned housing needs within a County. Included in this guidance is a spreadsheet tool that provides two optional methods (labeled Option A and B) for allocating the housing needs. Additional options have been developed in King and Snohomish Counties.
The proposed interlocal agreement is for TRPC to facilitate a process among Thurston County and all its cities to decide on a method to allocate housing needs to each local government. The County and each city will fund this process in equal shares of $5,625.
Climate Analysis:
The decision-making process under this interlocal agreement would not directly impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the allocations resulting from this process could impact travel patterns between jurisdictions, and therefore GHG emissions.
Once housing needs are allocated to each local government in Thurston County through this process, the comprehensive plan of each city and the County would need to be amended to plan for that allocation. Those comprehensive plans would directly address how and where housing may be accommodated. Together with transportation and land use policies in those plans, this could have a great impact on GHG emissions due to travel distance and modes for daily trips to and from housing.
Equity Analysis:
Similar to the climate analysis, comprehensive plan decisions based on the allocations resulting from this process could have a significant impact on equity of housing opportunities in Olympia and the region. The allocations resulting from this process could impact travel patterns between jurisdictions. Local government comprehensive plan policies will directly address how and where housing is located, and what actions are taken to encourage housing needs for moderate, low, very low and extremely low-income households, and for emergency housing, emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Planning for forecasted housing needs is of interest city-wide, and region wide. The results of this process will be the used during the City’s Comprehensive Plan update, which includes an extensive public participation process that is already underway and will extend through mid-2025.
Financial Impact:
Under the proposed interlocal agreement, Olympia would pay $5,625 to TRPC as its equal share of the costs to conduct this regional process. Olympia’s share will be paid from the existing budget of the Community Planning and Development Department. There is no additional funding necessary.
Options:
1. Approve resolution authorizing interlocal agreement with TRPC to facilitate a regional housing allocations process.
2. Do not approve the resolution and direct staff to pursue another process for complying with state required allocation of housing needs across Thurston County local governments.
3. Take other action.
Attachments:
Resolution
Agreement