HSN is extremely unique, in that we exist to advance community driven solutions and policy with a sole focus on Jefferson County. As HSN’s Director, my role draws me into many conversations across our region where I’m always advocating for housing, local workers and how the two are necessary for our community’s sustainability and resilience. 

This week was particularly special as I got to spend time with students at Port Townsend High School as part of a unit on cities. We focused on the many ways policy shapes housing, and the students led me through a wide breadth of topics: building code, zoning, tax structure and laws, infrastructure, economic development, and market speculation. I was honestly quite impressed; it was some of the most informed housing dialogue, tinged with a much welcomed curiosity. The open mindedness of young people is among one of their greatest strengths and something that keeps me hopeful about the future. 

These students identified an important point: the future of housing shouldn’t necessarily be measured by historic standards of living. An honest confrontation with the housing realities their generation will have to face and how a changing world shifts priorities. For example, we talked about how as much as it might be desired, a single family home spread across 3 three city lots is highly unlikely to ever again be attainable to local workers. Even more so, it’s not a scalable model that is compatible with many other commonly held community values such as public open space, tree canopy, wildlife habitat, agriculture, walkability, climate goals and fiscal sustainability. For me it’s a good reminder of how framing things around what might be lost often clouds our recognition of what could be gained – a natural instinct identified in psychology as loss aversion bias and status quo bias.

As an organization, HSN strives to embody the open mindedness and expansive thinkingI witnessed this week. We don’t yet have all the answers to housing. But we trust through honesty, dialogue and exploration we can find the best steps to move our community forward. Knowing full well that the solution to housing doesn’t rest with a single approach, but rather a multitude of approaches being advanced simultaneously.

In Community, 

Eric Jones

Director