Last year Olympia was only halfway to their goal of 700 residential homes built

Population is growing, yet not enough homes to meet the need

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Less than half of the city's goal to build 700 units a year was met with only 350 permitted residential units issued in 2022, Community Planning and Development Director Leonard Bauer said at the Olympia Planning Commission meeting held Monday, March 6.

"If we took our 20-year projection, about 700 units a year [to build], we were less than half in 2022. We've never come close [to meet the existing need], frankly," Bauer said, adding, "we have a long way to go."

In the recent Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) projection, Olympia needs 13,880 additional housing, or 700 units each year, to keep pace with the city's population growth – expected to increase from 68,085 to 87,670 between 2020 and 2045.

Bauer explained that there were delays in some of the projects, with shortages of materials and labor and everything concerning the construction contributing to the setbacks, "We do have more in the pipeline, I expect that those numbers will go up."

However, Bauer added that the increase in accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the low-density zones is "encouraging."

In an update to the commission, Principal Planner Joyce Phillips shared that there is a significant increase in ADUs. She presented a table that reflects 48 residential permits issued in low-density neighborhood areas.

Of the permits issued, 24 were for new single-family residences, two for townhouse developments, and 22 for ADUs.

For the ADUs, Phillips said, they typically see around five or seven units constructed per year. 

According to Phillips, since the city amended the housing code in 2020, some provisions would allow for certain housing types that had not been previously allowed on some existing lots.

In the ADU, Phillips noted that:

  • Most of the permitted ADUs were garage conversions
  • Six of the ADUs permitted exceeded the previously allowed maximum size of 800 square feet. ADU standards allow for the entire floor of an existing home to be converted to ADU, both before amendments were made in 2020.
  • Five of the ADUs were two-story structures; three of the five were detached, which would not have been allowed prior to the code amendments adopted in December 2020. The other two were attached to the primary residence.
  • Ten of the ADU were constructed on lots where the property owner's address was different from the site address, according to the Thurston County Assessor. Most owners reside in Thurston County.

Phillips said the permitted ADUs are scattered throughout the city. Two approved townhouse units are in the northeast area. The single-family units are on 18th Avenue, Karen Frazier Road, and Allen Road.

Phillips added that no duplex, triplex, or fourplex and other types of multifamily residential units were proposed in the low-density areas. "We have [proposal] in the moderate or higher density zones, but not in the lower density areas."

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  • BobJacobs

    These city housing goals are irrational. They treat the cities like islands, when actually the housing market is a multi-jurisdictional area. It doesn't matter which city a housing unit gets built in.

    And all the talk about how "the city" or "we" need to build more housing is misleading. Housing is built by private builders; the city has little control.

    Why do city staff continue to mislead the public on such an important issue?

    Bob Jacobs

    Tuesday, March 7, 2023 Report this

  • Yeti1981

    Bauer explained that there were delays in some of the projects, with shortages of materials and labor and everything concerning the construction contributing to the setbacks, "We do have more in the pipeline, I expect that those numbers will go up." - An interesting way to get around taking responsibility for permitting and review timelines. And the efforts to create even more obstacles to building.

    Wednesday, March 8, 2023 Report this