Grants aim to help cities address affordable housing

WENATCHEE — Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Chelan and Leavenworth are among 52 cities benefiting from $4 million in grants awarded by the state Department of Commerce to address affordable housing.

The grants are provided under a new state law that calls for cities planning under the Growth Management Act to increase residential building capacity. Cities are working to add more housing in a greater variety of types, and to streamline development.

Leavenworth received $45,800 for a housing action plan. Three other local cities received money for code changes:

• Wenatchee, $17,000

• East Wenatchee, $15,920

• Chelan, $30,000

The city of Wenatchee this month adopted housing code changes that updated development and design standards and allowed uses for the different zones. Community Development Director Glen DeVries said the grant will help pay for the city’s consultant.

“The majority of funds that we spent on our housing code update were already completed, but we were very appreciative of being able to take advantage of that grant,” he said, adding, “It’s a really good program that the Legislature approved and Commerce is administering, providing these funds to local jurisdictions to expand housing opportunities.”

A few options provided under the grants for city code changes:

• Authorizing a duplex, triplex or courtyard apartment on each parcel in single-family zones

• Allowing duplexes on corner lots in single-family zones

• Authorizing cluster zoning, in which density is determined for an entire area rather than on a lot-by-lot-basis, and lot size averaging, in which individual lot sizes can vary if the average meets the maximum density, in single-family zones

• Permitting cities to allow nine lots in a short plat

Lori Barnett, community development director for East Wenatchee, said the money will go toward a consultant and public outreach.

She said the city has been working for years to tackle the housing crisis, including reductions in minimum lot size and setbacks and increases in height limitations.

Barnett said she’d like to see multifamily housing integrated throughout the city instead of just being concentrated in one area.

One challenge is balancing high density with aesthetics and ensuring new buildings mesh with the neighborhood.

Leavenworth will also hire a consultant for its housing action plan, Development Services Manager Lilith Vespier said.