Leavenworth Receives Funds to Address Housing Needs

Murmurs of the affordable housing shortage hasn't fallen on deaf ears. The Department of Commerce recently awarded the city of Leavenworth nearly $46,000 for completion of a Housing Action Plan. The Housing Action Plan will serve to help steer the city's future actions to improve the housing in the community.

"The Housing Action Plan will have the city doing an inventory of housing conditions and employment conditions, trying to identify our needs and how we can better serve those needs," said Lilith Vespier, development services manager. "It will also provide an opportunity to do a detailed look at our current codes and comprehensive plan and reevaluate those to help them better function with our needs."

The Housing Action Plan will use the city's existing Comprehensive Plan and Housing Needs Assessment as foundation to construct a plan that will encourage affordable and market rate housing in the community. According to the city's website, the last housing study was the 2017 Housing Assessment which served as a tool to implement a handful of code amendments.

"It will also provide an opportunity to do a detailed look at our current codes and comprehensive plan and reevaluate those to help them better function with our needs," said Vespier.

The grant money is part of House Bill 1923, designed to increase residential building capacity in communities throughout the state. According to Vespier, the next step in the process is to hire a consultant who will take on the bulk of the work.

"We will also be looking for the public to provide us information. The Planning Commission is currently working on housing issues and the public is strongly encouraged to attend the planning meetings and participate," said Vespier.