2017 Housing Affordability Response Team (HART) Recommendations

Housing affordability is an essential part of every community’s infrastructure, serving as a platform for individuals and families to stabilize and build their economic futures. It also creates jobs and attracts investment, making it a prerequisite to economic growth.

Housing supply and affordability are issues that affect every community in Washington: as our state economy continues to rebound from the Great Recession, the resulting growth in population and low housing vacancy rates have produced a tight housing market in which existing inventory is priced at a premium. Low and middle-income households feel this market pressure the most: they have the fewest number of housing options in the private market, and low-income households are increasingly more vulnerable to homelessness.

The Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) is the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable communities and economic vitality in Washington. Commerce supports the state’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB), which advises Commerce on housing and housing-related issues.

Also Read: Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document