Summit on Challenges and Solutions to Wenatchee Housing Shortage

The state of Washington has mandated the housing inventory in Chelan and Douglas County must increase by about 18-thousand homes in the next 20 years

The majority of the growth will be in the Greater Wenatchee area.

The Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce and Our Valley, Our Future will host a housing summit offering a deep dive into the hurdles and solutions

Our Valley coordinator Steve Maher says the public is invited to the "Housing Our Valley: How do we increase density in our neighborhoods respectfully" summit on February 6th at the LocalTel Events Center at Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee.

The mandate will also equire about 40% of the new homes are priced for low and moderate income households.

That means Increased density will be key to meeting the targets.

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The summit will explore ways to accommodate the higher density and changing the nature of traditional neighborhoods.

Maher says new laws no longer permit single family zoning and neighborhoods are likely to see duplexes or multi-family residences or apartments where they were previously excluded.

Summit topics will include:

• What State Housing Mandates Mean for You and the Community
• How Local Cities and Counties ar Planning for Future Growth
• How Middle-Market Housing is Changing the Narrative
• How Hayden Homes in Redmond, OR has Added 25,000 new homes throughout the Northwest
• Mechanisms to Get Affordable Housing Constructed

And a locally produced video "The Past as The Future" that explores the homes built in the region between 1910 and 1950 as a model for the future.

Registration is required at OVOFhousing.EventBrite.com with the $15 fee covering lunch that will be provided.