Yesterday, the Snohomish County Housing Affordability Regional Taskforce (HART), chaired by Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, reconvened to build upon the five-year plan and continue efforts to ease the housing crisis. HART released its report and five-year plan in January 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact our region, and since then the costs of housing have continued to skyrocket.

“We can see the obvious impacts of the housing crisis across our urban and rural areas,” said Executive Somers. “There is just not enough housing at all levels and as a region we must do more. HART will continue to work through policies, programs, and planning to do our part to bring some relief to our residents. This crisis is causing significant challenges to many, and through collaboration, we can begin to ease the burden. Our economy, environment, and quality of life depend on it.”

“We need more housing, at all price points, to ensure we have livable communities for all of our residents,” said Mayor Franklin. “I look forward to collaborating with this group of regional leaders and will be fiercely pro-housing to identify bold, achievable and actionable solutions to our complex housing challenges.”

The HART members committed to continuing their regional collaboration and finding practical solutions to the significant challenges communities are facing.

HART’s 2020 report and five-year plan made several recommendations for action, including:

• Implementing the state sales tax shift to local governments to fund low-income housing;

• Lobbying for changes in state and federal law to consolidate and streamline funding to support low-income housing;

• Fostering community conversations about density;

• Engaging private sector stakeholders in helping to find solutions to our housing affordability challenge; and

• Confirming and supporting an ongoing structure for regional collaboration around production of housing across the entire income spectrum.

HART identified five goals for addressing housing affordability with suggested policy, regulatory, and funding strategies. To view the full report, please visit https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/HARTReport.