Spokane Valley is preparing to allocate $2 million towards affordable housing this autumn. However, before construction can begin, the city must first demolish an existing house and determine the appropriate type of housing to build.
In the last couple of years, the Valley has directed a minimum of $6 million in federal aid towards buying land and creating affordable housing. Out of this, $4 million has been utilized on various projects.
Last February, the city council recognized the scarcity of available property as a hindrance to development even though $2 million was still available. Consequently, they purchased two parcels of land. This move opens up the possibility of leasing these city-owned properties to providers, allowing them to begin constructing sooner.
This fall, the City staff plans to issue a Request for Proposals for affordable housing projects. However, before moving forward with the process, the council had to determine which of the nine affordable housing types to prioritize.
Councilmember Laura Padden expressed her intention to restrict the types of housing in a recent statement. She initially supported the expenditure with the goal of revitalizing the area. However, due to ongoing issues, she is now advocating for housing that does not contribute to such problems. “I don’t want the kind of housing that creates those kinds of problems,” Padden emphasized.
According to Padden, one potential solution to the housing shortage would be to focus on senior and workforce housing, as well as programs that facilitate homeownership. By promoting these options and offering incentives, the city could potentially increase the availability of rental properties for those in need.
The Valley has plans to develop a plot of land, which spans around 1.35 acres and is situated at the intersection of East 2nd Avenue and South Carnahan Road. The council had given their approval for the acquisition back in February, but there was an issue with the two tenants who were residing in a single-family home on the property. According to City Services Administrator Gloria Mantz, those tenants would have to vacate the premises.
In Tuesday’s agenda, it was mentioned that the parcels are predominantly empty, with the exception of a single-family home situated on the northwest corner. The staff has been actively working towards relocating or demolishing the structure.
According to Jill Smith, the Communications Manager, two previous occupants of the property received financial aid from the city to move out. However, the property cannot be classified as vacant until the structure has been demolished.
Just a block away from the Carnahan Road property, there is another parcel that is owned by the city. However, this particular plot is only 0.15 acres in size and is situated at a distance from the Carnahan Road property, separated by a few residential homes. This poses a challenge for the providers as they are limited in terms of the scope of development they can undertake, given these constraints.
During Tuesday’s agenda, the city staff presented a comprehensive list that outlines each of the nine categories of affordable housing. These options include a variety of housing types such as senior housing, workforce housing, cohousing, multi-family housing, youth housing, mixed-income development, co-op housing, recovery community/supportive housing, and mental health and/or substance use treatment facilities.
Following the land acquisition in February, the Valley now has approximately $1.3 million in allocated funding that remains unused. Additionally, there is an extra $1 million in tax revenue that could potentially be used to provide seed funding for the development.
During the council meeting, Councilmember Al Merkel brought up the Valley’s Housing Action Plan. He pointed out that the city had paid a Seattle-based research firm $100,000 in grants to complete the plan, even though it had not been referenced.
Merkel took the initiative to draft his own RFP criteria, which aligns with the HAP by giving priority to a certain percentage of housing for different income levels. This approach differs from the one presented by staff in the agenda, which focused on specific types of housing.
According to Merkel, the recipient of this award should offer wrap-around services to assist individuals who are renting at below-market rates. She believes that those who rent at 30 to 50 AMI and are unable to transition to the market level are essentially trapped in their current situation.
Merkel and Padden had a disagreement concerning wrap around services, with Padden stating that implementing such services would only exacerbate the existing problems in the area.
She stated that having wrap-around services for everything may not be desirable as it would imply that there are people with problems. She further added that this is one of the issues with the neighborhood.
Although there were varying opinions among the council members, the general agreement was that the city staff should move forward with a Request for Proposal (RFP) that prioritizes senior and workforce housing, along with affordable cottages.
At present, the county authorities are contemplating the possibility of waiving off approximately $2 million in affordable housing debts owed by their providers who are struggling to cover their expenses.
