Council Adopts Comprehensive Housing Strategy
After a year of Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings, two open houses and discussion of a number of draft strategies, the Shoreline City Council accepted the Committee’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy Report on February 19, 2008. After a public hearing on March 24, Council formally adopted the Strategy which addresses housing affordability and choice, as well as protecting neighborhood character in Shoreline.
Council Goal #5 for 2007-2008 was to develop a comprehensive housing strategy for the next 10 years.
Now that the strategy is adopted, Council is reviewing recommendations and prioritizing what will be implemented.
The CAC recommended a total of 15 strategies for implementation. The following four were presented for implementation this year:
Subarea Planning – This process is already under way for part of the Ridgecrest neighborhood and Town Center area, and is just beginning for the Southeast Neighborhoods (south Briarcrest and Ridgecrest) area. This approach provides opportunities to examine housing choices and neighborhood compatibility.
Identify Existing Stock - Staff is also working to identify and contact owners of privately-owned and federally assisted multi-family housing to create an inventory list.
Funding for Housing Development – Use Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for housing acquisition, rehabilitation or development. Funds are currently available to the City for this purpose.
Property Tax Exemption for Housing – Use the Property Tax Exemption (PTE) to encourage affordable units and community amenities within Shoreline, such as areas in North City and Ridgecrest.
For more information about the Comprehensive Housing Strategy or next steps, contact Senior Planner Steve Cohn at (206) 801-2511.
We would also like to give a special thank you to all the citizens whose insights, time, and effort created a Strategy to guide housing policies for years to come.
Committee Members:
Chair, Sid Kuboi
Vice Chair, Terry Scott
John Behrens
Kyrie Cataldo
Chris Eggen
Darlene Feikema
Jay Helfrich
Nimo Musal Hussein
Janne Kaje
Chakorn Phisuthikul
Jeanne Roxby
Karen Russell
Harry Sloan
Maria Walsh
Michelle Linders Wagner
Malyn White
