Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown revealed a package of proposals aimed at improving housing affordability, reports Emry Dinman for The Spokesman-Review.

Spokane's population is expected to grow by more than 23,000 people between 2020 and 2046, requiring over 13,000 homes to accommodate population growth — but it also needs to build another 9,000 homes in that time to address homelessness and overpriced housing created by historic underproduction, according to city and state projections.

Brown’s proposals include deferring permitting fees for affordable housing projects, waiving up to 75 percent of General Facilities Charges for affordable housing, and reforming the city’s affordable housing fund to make funding more flexible. “The mayor also committed to simplify and update city code related to housing development, a process in which she hopes interested community members will take part over the next year.”