Laserfiche WebLink
Re: Comments on the Kittitas County 2026 Comprehensive Plan upSaa ement #001 <br /> March 2, 2026 <br /> Page g <br /> rural areas increases transportation costs for families and transportation and <br /> public service costs for the County. We recommend that these housing targets <br /> should be reallocated to urban growth areas. Planning on affordable housing units <br /> outside urban growth areas means that the county will not achieve its affordable <br /> housing targets and there will not be opportunities for all income groups. <br /> Similarly, the Washington Farmworker Housing Needs Assessment recommended <br /> that to provide more affordable farm worker housing cities should be encouraged <br /> "to increase zoning and infrastructure investments for multi-family housing <br /> within urban growth areas.1130 <br /> Low-rise multifamily and mid-rise multifamily housing are urban densities and <br /> are only allowed in urban growth areas. Planning on providing housing affordable <br /> families earning 8o percent or less AMI in the rural area will fail. Instead these <br /> housing targets should be reallocated to urban growth areas near jobs where the <br /> affordable housing can be provided. <br /> Address the other requirements for housing elements in RCW 36.70A.020(2). <br /> RCW 36.7oA.020(2)(d)(ii) requires the comprehensive plan to "[d]ocument[] <br /> programs and actions needed to achieve housing availability including gaps in <br /> local funding, barriers such as development regulations, and other limitations ..." <br /> We were unable to identify the programs, actions, and gaps in local funding in the <br /> Housing Element or the Kittitas County - Housing Needs Assessment. <br /> RCW 36.7oA.020(2)(e) requires the housing element to identify "local policies and <br /> regulations that result in racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion <br /> in housing ...." We were unable to identify the programs, actions, and gaps in local <br /> funding in the Housing Element or the Kittitas County - Housing Needs <br /> Assessment. <br /> RCW 36.7oA.020(2)(f) requires the housing element to "[i]dentif[] and <br /> implements policies and regulations to address and begin to undo racially <br /> disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing caused by local policies, <br /> plans, and actions ...." RCW 36.7oA.020(2)(g) requires the housing element to <br /> [i]dentif[y] areas that may be at higher risk of displacement from market forces <br /> 30 BERK Consulting, Washington Farmworker Housing Needs Assessment p. 184 (The Washington <br /> State Department of Commerce:Jan. 2022) last accessed on Feb. 27, 2026, at: <br /> ht i3s:Ifwww.Goinnierce.wa.goy/wn- <br /> content ti laads/2o22/o4lCom merceReportso e ous' 6.22. )d and at <br /> the link on the last page of this letter with the filename: <br /> "CommerceReports_CSHD_FarmworkerHousing_Final_4.26.22.pdf." <br /> L <br />