BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund is seeking to jumpstart a change in housing construction within the city.
On Thursday, Nov. 21, Mayor Lund made the second executive order of her term that pushes for more affordable housing among other things in Bellingham.
It urges the city to take immediate steps in three broad areas.
The first is to diversify and expand option in all neighborhoods through priority development review and potential legislative changes. One such change is to remove parking minimum requirements within the city.
It also seeks to streamline the city’s permitting process which may in turn reduce housing costs and increase development. The City of Bellingham has provided a toolkit for “infilling,” the process of utilizing vacant and undeveloped property to build denser housing units like duplexes and cottages.
Finally, the order will incentivize by funding or partnering to create more housing opportunities that struggle with development such as tiny home villages. Lund says they plan to find a location for another tiny home village soon.
A goal of the order is to infill Bellingham by increasing housing density and providing choices in middle housing types.
The order states that the city has failed to catch up with housing deficits left over from the economic recession over 12 years ago. It adds that the city issued permits for only half of its annual housing unit construction goal as of mid-November.
In a statement, Lund says that this order is about taking action to reduce barriers to expanding housing.
“What’s at stake is the vibrancy and resiliency of our community, the opportunities for people to make this place their home. We need sufficient, affordable housing because it’s foundational for health and well-being, fostering stability and prosperity for all community members. We need it to promote economic growth and viability. We need it to attract and retain qualified workers for a variety of jobs at all income levels. We need it to maintain our city as a desirable, equitable and attainable place to live,” Lund said.
