Planning 2015-06-18 COMPLETE AGENDA PACKET

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ISSUES In developing the goals and policies for this Housing Element, the following issues were identified for Tukwila: Housing Affordability While Tukwila continues to have affordable units for those at 50 -80% of area median income (AMI), more and more households are struggling to meet their housing costs. Community poverty has tripled in Tukwila over the past ten years as evidenced in Census figures and Tukwila School District demographics (see the Housing Background Report for more information). Almost half of City residents are burdened by housing costs, paying more than 30% of their income for housing. In particular, households who make 30% or less of the AMI face the greatest struggle to find affordable housing. The majority of Tukwila's affordable housing is `naturally occurring', meaning that factors such as location and age of the home result in below regional average costs. Because future housing development will likely include redevelopment of existing affordable housing and the development of new higher cost housing in the Urban Center, efforts to address the lack of affordable housing for residents earning less than 30% AMI, will most likely require subsidized housing through partnerships with non - profit housing groups and other housing stakeholders. Relying on market forces to provide affordable housing for very -low income residents will not provide an adequate quantity of quality affordable housing. Housing Condition Most existing single - family homes in Tukwila were constructed before 1970 and the majority of multifamily homes were constructed between the 1960s- 1980s. Aging housing stock typically requires more money for maintenance, which can be difficult for residents who are already burdened by other economic stressors such as paying more than 30% of their income for housing. Condition is also linked to affordability. Naturally occurring affordable housing (housing with market prices that meet affordability metrics without policies or accompanying subsidies) is often a result of deteriorating and substandard housing conditions, smaller home size, and older housing stock. Home Ownership Options Having a range of housing types to choose from encourages home ownership. This in turn supports longer term residency and neighborhood stability. Home ownership is relatively low among Tukwila residents, and is decreasing. While less than half of the housing units in Tukwila are apartments, almost 60% of housing units in the City are renter - occupied. City of Tukwila Comprehensive Plan - Housing Element W: \Long Range Projects \2014 Comp PlanUp date \Residential Neighborhoods \Public Review \PC Packet \Housing -PC- 6252015 - clean.docx 6/9/2015 14