Title
Public Hearing for a Grant Application to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to Pursue Funding for Affordable Homeownership
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Hold a public hearing for a grant application to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to pursue funding for affordable homeownership.
Report
Issue:
Whether to hold a public hearing for a grant application to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to pursue funding for affordable homeownership.
Staff Contact:
Darian Lightfoot, Director of Housing and Homeless Response, 360-753-8033
Presenter(s):
Jacinda Steltjes, Affordable Housing Program Manager, 360.790.5224
Darian Lightfoot, Director of Housing and Homeless Response, 360-753-8033
Background and Analysis:
City of Olympia is a strong believer that housing is a basic human right. Olympians are struggling and now is the time to act. Knowing this, the City has extensively gathered and analyzed data and engaged our residents to assess the community's housing needs.
A Housing Needs Assessment identified, among other things, the need for more housing production and preservation and a need for a range of housing types to meet current and anticipated demand. The 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan deepened our knowledge about housing need and instability in Olympia. It provided data on the cost to produce and preserve housing as well as data on housing cost burden. The Assessment of Fair Housing highlighted populations of our community who experience barriers to accessing housing, housing insecurity, housing cost burden and ongoing disparities in homeownership. Through this work the City has remained resolute in our commitment to reducing barriers to affordable housing. We've adopted a Housing Action Plan identifying 71 actions intended to meet the community's affordable housing needs. Within two years we've completed 19 of these actions and we are act...
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