Advocates describe the severity of the housing affordability crisis facing the Puget Sound region.
If you rent or are looking to buy, you know there’s a housing crisis in the Puget Sound region. There simply are not enough homes and especially not enough homes that people can afford. This housing-supply shortage drives up prices, pushes older adults out of their homes and forces people to look for housing farther and farther from their jobs. According to a draft housing-needs assessment released by the Puget Sound Regional Council, an additional 810,000 homes are needed in our four-county region by 2050 so that current residents, newcomers and future generations may find a home that best fits their lives.
Everyone who lives here is familiar with the affordability crisis. Forty-nine percent of renters and 26% of homeowners in Washington are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. As advocates for small businesses and our region’s older adults, we are concerned about the damaging housing crisis that has long persisted in our region with no end in sight. That is why we are coordinating with a broad range of Puget Sound regional leaders, civic organizations, businesses, labor and nonprofits — a Coalition for More Housing Choices. Together, we are advocating for a broadly supported plan for new housing, founded on meeting the needs of current residents and our growing population, environmental stewardship, and an affordable and sustainable future for generations to come. More can — and must — be done.
Read more here.
