Housing Timeline

While we are in a national crisis of affordable housing, housing costs have increased far above the national and state average for Leavenworth through the last five to ten years.

In order to retain our community, we have to protect housing diversity!

Here is a timeline of what the City has done so far.

2016

Meadowlark Housing Project failed, mayoral Housing Task Force formed.

2017

Housing Task Force

Hired a consultant to complete a Housing Needs Assessment and subsequent
Community deliberation and contributions to the Housing Needs Assessment
Submitted recommendations to the City Council.

2018

The Leavenworth City Council Housing Committee was formed in April 2018 with three directives:

Collaboration

Housing in the 1.4 square mile area of Leavenworth is nothing without looking at housing regionally. We aim to seek collaboration with our neighboring communities and Chelan County to discuss land use planning and solutions.

2. Funding

There are federal and state programs that fund low-income housing. While arguably not robust programs, they leave citizens who earn slightly above these levels still unable to afford local housing.

The committee is researching how we can influence expanded funding for housing affordability - at the state level (see Resolution 20-2018: Leavenworth 2019 Legislative Priorities), through our Housing Authority, etc.?

3. City Code

In 2018 the Leavenworth Planning Commission was tasked with examining several elements of our code with the goal of encouraging and diversifying residential development.

The housing committee will continue to recommend code changes as well as develop a process for code review of past changes to ensure our code is meeting our goals.

2019

City Council got started on code updates to increase opportunities for housing supply and diversity.

Permitting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Zero lot line development
Updated Planned Development regulations
Added two new funding support tools for affordable housing