Title
Discussion of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Housing Chapter
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Land Use and Environment Committee reviewed the draft Olympia 2045 Housing Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan and suggested minor revisions. The Committee recommended the chapter be forwarded to the full City Council for discussion at a Study Session.
City Manager Recommendation:
Review and discuss the draft Housing Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to review and discuss the draft Housing Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Contact:
Susan McLaughlin, Director, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.753.8206
Presenter(s):
Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner
Background and Analysis:
For the last periodic update, the City's Comprehensive Plan underwent a major rewrite through a planning process that took place from 2009 through 2014. The Plan was adopted in December of 2014. At least once every 10 years, cities and counties that are fully planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA), must update their plan through a process known as a periodic Update.? The periodic update requires that jurisdictions update the planning horizon to a minimum of 20 years, update the population projection it is planning for, and address all new planning requirements that have been adopted since the previous update.
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In 2021, the Legislature changed the way communities are required to plan for housing. House Bill 1220 (2021) amended the GMA to instruct local governments to "plan for and accommodate" housing affordable to all income levels. This significantly strengthened the previous goal, which was to encourage affordable housing.
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The amended law also directed the Department of Commerce to project future housing needs for jurisdictions by income bracket and made significant updates to how jurisdictions are to plan for housing in the housing element of their comprehens...
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