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communities like Yakima, Wenatchee <br />and Moses Lake, as well as the Puget <br />Sound and online commerce. <br />opportunities to reduce retail leakage <br />and increase local options. Attract <br />retail that brings area tourists and <br />residents to Ellensburg. <br />• Global view, local action . Business and community come together to make up a <br />mosaic of cultures and people. Tourism is Important to the community's <br />economic health. <br />· Posture Recommendation <br />Increasingly diverse community will Internationalize business recruitment <br />help to draw tourism and to welcome materials; seek opportunities to <br />new business to our community demonstrate our open door to many <br />cultures. <br />ELLENSBURG'S ECO NOMIC THR EATS <br />• Housjng. Ellensburg is experiencing a severe shortage of middle-and low•income <br />housing. The shortage will impede Ellensburg's efforts to recruit new employers. <br />In conjunction with the Ellensburg Comprehensive Plan Update, the city <br />conducted a housing assessment study. This study found: <br />1. The cost of rental housing is increasing (17% between 2013 and <br />201~); <br />2. Apartment vacancy rates are very low at 0.8% (healthy is 5.0%); <br />3. Many hou_seholds are cost burdened with over 1/3rrJ of households <br />spending >30% on housing, and over 1/3rd spend >50%; <br />4. Housing_ inventory and household size is not well matched; <br />5. A silver tsunami is on the horizon; and <br />6. There exist unique housing needs typical of a college town. <br />November 2017, Ellensburg voters passed a 1/10t:hs percent sales tax increase <br />for affordable housing (Proposition 1). While this is not likely to 'solve' the <br />housing problem, it has potential to ease the financial burden for some. <br />Posture Recommendation . <br />Much is happening to address Ellensburg Promote responsiveness of <br />housing inventory. An Affordable Housing community on the issue of <br />Advisory Committee (Ad Hoc) is meeting to affordable housing, and identify <br />make recommendations to City Council on and share information about <br />Proposition 1. Three projects are moving how Ellensburg is addressing <br />from design to build, adding over 300 the community's concerns. <br />apartments and a 400-bed residence hall at <br />cwu.