By Sid Roberts / Herald Forum
The idea of affordable housing in the Pacific Northwest is sadly a misnomer.
Notwithstanding the diligence of housing advocates and concerned elected officials, affordable housing is mostly nonexistent. To have a healthy and functioning society, affordable housing is an essential and primary necessity.
The root cause to this dilemma is complicated, but the scarcity of buildable land is a primary problem. With the Puget Sound’s unique lay of the land, Mark Twain’s quip is now truer than ever: “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” The scarcity of land here is now epic, and that shortage simply drives up the cost of housing. Period, full stop.
With that stated, there are other dynamics at play and the culprits are many.
For instance, increased restrictions in land use codes have clearly reduced the stock of buildable land. Setbacks from critical areas, for instance, restrict land development. These setbacks are backed by science, or so we are told, and are mostly non-negotiable. Environmental overreach and climate change legalism restrict land development, and this too drives up the cost.
Proposed changes to building codes, while often sensible and needed, are expensive. Septic drain fields and septic reserve areas, while needed, reduce buildable land. Even earthquake safety and fire code requirements cost money, and those costs are simply passed on to the consumer. This too raises the cost of housing.
Impact fees for schools, parks, roads and traffic, while important, drive up the cost to build housing. Socking it to those “greedy” developers and builders with high impact fees, feels good for some, but the first-time home-buyer is mostly the victim. Impact fees legitimately help offset infrastructure needs triggered by development but also drive up the cost of housing.
Required turnarounds for emergency vehicles, while vital, add to the cost of housing. Large water retention vaults add enormous amounts to the price of housing. Building permit fees, sewer hookup fees and water meter fees have steadily increased in cost, and that too puts pressure on housing affordability.
Long wait times to get permits are also a costly component to this math. Time is always of the essence in building and these delays put upward pressure on the cost of housing.
Greed is also a big problem in the housing space. Big money from a quick sale of grandma’s farm is hard to turn down. Greed by all parties, buyers, sellers, brokers, builders, suppliers, and developers, raise the cost of housing.
So, there are many problems to the lack of affordable housing but what are some of the solutions?
It is complicated for sure, but I think it starts with our expectations. The housing crisis has been a long time in the making and is likely here to stay. Instead of expecting others to fix the problem, the change needed is partially in our own frame of mind.
Many look to government to solve the housing problem, but government has never been a viable source at solving housing problems. The adjustment must begin with how we see the housing narrative and our own willingness to allow transformation of our treasured neighborhoods.
Strategically, we need to focus on creating and allowing smaller building pods rather than large building lots. We need to go up and not out. Smaller spaces, smaller lots, smaller setbacks, ADUs in neighborhoods, are painful but imperative. Multifamily housing is now essential and must be allowed to expand.
By necessity, multi-generational housing will become an option for thousands. Immigrants to this county have modeled this option with grace and dignity.
Simply stated, the math has changed in the housing space. If we ever hope to find a solution, our hopes and expectations must change. We must radically rethink the American dream before it becomes a full-grown American nightmare.
After all, a place to live is the bottom rung of the hierarchy of needs, and affordable housing is a key to solving many other of societal problems. People have a right to expect, and be able to obtain, a safe and warm place to live. Without this basic right they simply go off the rails. We must get this right. Failure is not an option.
Sid Roberts is a member of the Stanwood City Council and mayor.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
