The last few years HSN has leaned more heavily into the policy and advocacy side of affordable housing. Seeing a need for a stronger more united voice in this arena especially ahead of the City and County Comprehensive Plan updates that are due by the end of 2025.
This began with our 2024 Community Survey, which has been widely circulated and well received amongst our local governments and organizations, but continued with constant engagement and monitoring of the update process. This type of work can easily go unnoticed, and frankly undervalued as it doesn’t directly create housing, but shifting policy and community perspectives is critical to leveraging momentum and stretching those dollars committed to affordable housing projects.
It is always disheartening to hear a community member abandons building an affordable rental in their back yard because of some zoning restriction like setback or daylight plane requirements. (Two, among many things identified by HSN as limiting affordable housing and currently slated to change with the 2026 update). On a larger scale we have seen the intentional community with an emphasis on affordability planned for the corner of San Juan and Discover drag on for years. (Read further into the newsletter to see how this project is finally making it over a major hurdle.)
Want to know how to create more affordable housing in ways that are scaled and tailored to the lifestyles of Jefferson County? Creativity. And housing creativity oddly enough is tied to something as boring as zoning regulations. Habitat’s duplexes along Landes St., Olympic Housing Trust’s Dundee Hill project, Tiny Homes on Wheels as Accessory Dwelling Units, converting large homes into multi-unit properties, multiple unrelated people legally living together — all these were made possible as a result of zoning changes that happened in the last few years. This is where HSN has been working; fostering an environment where housing solutions are more easily found and implemented.
What to support this type of growth? Click the donate button at the bottom of this email. Have a housing idea that’s been kicking around in the back of your head but don’t know where to start? Drop us a line and we’ll plug you into the network.
But that’s not all, stay tuned for what else is in store for HSN.