7.12.21 LUTC PresentationDraft Housing Action Plan
Land Use & Transportation Committee July 12, 2021
By Chaney Skadsen, Associate Planner
Draft Housing Action Plan
LUTC 7/12/2021
Good evening, Planning Commission, I’m Chaney Skadsen, Associate Planner and Housing Action Plan project manager for the city.
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Policy Question
Does the LUTC recommend adoption of the Draft Housing Action Plan?
Draft Housing Action Plan
LUTC 7/12/2021
Financial Impact
There is no financial obligation to the City in presenting this information.
In 2019 The City of Federal Way received a $100,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to prepare a Housing Action Plan (HAP).
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Housing Action Plan (HAP) Background
Draft Housing Action Plan
LUTC 7/12/2021
The objective of the City of Federal Way’s HAP document is to lay out the housing policy direction for the city towards the goal of increasing residential capacity to meet existing need
and plan for the future. The adoption of the HAP will not result in code changes, instead it sets up a priority schedule for future efforts that will require more community input.
Over a year into the process:
The HNA findings
Key Findings
Nearly 40% of all households in Federal Way are cost-burdened (over 13,000 households in total) spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The cost burden is most common among
both owner and renter households with incomes below 50% AMI and disproportionately impact Black, indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC) households.
Housing production has not kept up with demand. In the last 10 years, 5.3 units for every 10 households formed – lower than Subregion cities
The existing housing stock doesn’t align with community profile, by size, type, preference and cost.
Housing options are limited and becoming more expensive pushing homeownership out of reach
Stakeholder Engagement
On going efforts to ensure that the plan reflects community needs and concerns
Industry specific interviews, Communitywide survey, public frequently updated website, E-Newsletter for Interested Parties list, Advisory Group, public meetings etc
Diversity, walkability, duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses were preferred
Housing Policy Code, and Permitting Review
Identified opportunities for code specific implementation
Toolbox for future code amendments
Objectives & Strategies
Guiding the processes
Based on qualitative and quantitative information from earlier mentioned efforts
Presented at special session, PC twice
Implementation Matrix & Priority Schedule
The how to guide for using the HAP
Iterative process identifying opportunities for collaboration within department and outside the city
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HAP Objectives
Promote new housing development that expands housing choices and is inclusive to community needs.
Encourage homeownership opportunities and support equitable housing outcomes.
Plan for continued growth and ensure that the built environment promotes community development and increases the quality of life for Federal Way’s existing and future residents.
Preserve existing affordable housing stock to reduce displacement pressure.
Draft Housing Action Plan
LUTC 7/12/2021
This plan intends that regulatory changes occurring after adoption be towards the goal of expanding housing choices, encourage homeownership opportunities, plan for increased quality
of life as the city grows, and keep people in their homes. * read objectives *
Housing strategies are rarely effective in isolation.
When the market is not producing the kinds of new housing that are needed, it is usually due to a combination of different factors.
That is why the Federal Way HAP includes 8 different strategies, each associated with several actions the city will need to take to fully implement.
These strategies and actions all address different barriers to new development in federal Way.
So, to be most effective, the city will need to fully implement several strategies before seeing a real impact on new housing development.
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HAP Strategies
#1: Promote a dense, walkable mixed-use City Center
#2: Promote mixed use, walkable, neighborhood centers
#3: Expand “missing middle” development opportunities
#4: Encourage ADU production
#5: Ensure that incentives for mixed-income housing are effective
#6: Review school impact fees on MF housing
#7: Coordinate to support affordable housing development and preservation
#8. Tenant protections and pathways to homeownership
Each of the actions includes a prioritization of short-term (ST) 0-3 years (2021-2024) medium-term (MT) 3-7 years (2024-2028), and long-term (LT) 7 or more years (after 2028) These
timeframes assume full and timely resource allocation of staff and necessary funds.
Level of effort
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HAP Housing Categories
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Strategies and action are connected to any of these three categories
FW HAP goal is guide housing policy to facilitate market-rate, income restricted housing production, and preserving the vital NOAH stock.
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Draft Housing Action Plan
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In the Short Term
#1: Promote a dense, walkable mixed-use City Center
Ensure Dev Reg are conducive to TOD
Evaluate assets and capital improvements to leverage in collaboration with developers to achieve desire downtown
#2: Promote mixed use, walkable, neighborhood centers
Parking MU and RM zones high…TDM offer deviations when allowed, BUT currently not tracked, continue it
Collaboration for MU areas to foster local economic development
#4: Encourage ADU production
Size, height regs, update monitor
#6: Review school impact fees on MF housing
In the past, school impact fees and how they were calculated benefitted either the City or FWPS, but not both. Impacts fees used to be low, benefitting city development. Now they are
very high, benefitting FWPS. The City and FWPS recently adjusted the fees with a goal to benefit both parties. Development subject to the higher fees still has not occurred since the
fees were raised in 2017, so more adjustments are likely needed to achieve the balance sought by both parties.
#7: Coordinate to support affordable housing development and preservation
DEI manager
Disparities across races, coordinated effort for equitable outcome
Continue to support SKHHP
#8. Tenant protections and pathways to homeownership
This strategy calls for the City to expand tenant protections to ensure housing safety and collect data on rental properties in the city. Monitoring and maintaining existing affordable
housing units can often be cheaper than constructing new units (although both are needed). Adopt Rental Inspection Program
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Monitoring Progress
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Implementation Milestones
Periodic Updates & Review
In addition to the actions listed above for implementing the eight strategies, Federal Way should also
establish a monitoring program to measure progress towards achieving each of the four HAP
objectives. Below is a discussion of monitoring for each objective.
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June 7th, LUTC Follow Up
Involvement with development community
Addressing HOA concerns over ADUs
Forecasting future housing units
Accessibility and inclusion
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1. Advisory Group, stakeholder interviews and community engagement. Objective 1, Strategy 1 implementation measure (public private partnerships), 5 effective incentives, E-Newsletter
list,. Planning participation in the South King County Joint Planner and Developer meeting
2. As part of an ADU permit application, the City will require the applicant to submit proof of written notification to the HOA. This notification requirement intends to reduce unnecessary
conflict with property owners and HOAs. Notwithstanding any conflicts, the City cannot legally withhold a permit because of HOA rules.
3. Request to compile a map Planning Project GIS, Buildable Lands
4. Housing planning and policymaking are integral functions of cities, and essential for supporting inclusive, diverse, and economically vibrant communities. ADA, ADU and wayfinding
addition
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6,800 New
Housing Units
by 2040
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250
350
200
250
300
120
50
100
200
130
175
150
960
2600
1300
Where do we expect the needed 6800 housing units by 2040 to go in the city?
Map methodology – Beginning with the current zoning maps (current comp plan docket), identifying developments in the pipeline, and comparing parcel specific data from the buildable lands
report of vacant and redevelopable area.
We expect that of the future developed housing units in the striped areas that a majority of the forecasted units are MF/MU
Yellow = single family
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New Action to the HAP
Draft Housing Action Plan
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#1 Promote a dense, walkable, mixed-use City Center.
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Next Step
Draft Housing Action Plan
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July 20, 2021 Housing Action Plan potential adoption
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Land Use & Transportation Committee Options
Recommend adoption of the Draft Housing Action Plan;
Recommend adoption of Draft Housing Action Plan with amendments;
Remand Draft Housing Action Plan to the Planning Commission for further discussion;
Recommend forwarding the Draft Housing Action Plan to City Council without recommendation.
Draft Housing Action Plan
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Mayor’s Recommendation
1. Recommend adoption of the Draft Housing Action Plan
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Questions and Comments
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