[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6203192,"mediaKeyId","3783962-28a9d3db98dcf12c9a1adccf546f2df6","parentId",3783962,"title","Tumwater staff outline housing element: plan must add roughly 9,200 units and address displacement risks","audioSeconds",4087,"startMs",2951000,"endMs",7038000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3783962-28a9d3db98dcf12c9a1adccf546f2df6&start=2951&end=7038","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3783962-28a9d3db98dcf12c9a1adccf546f2df6/thumbnail_2951000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6203192/Tumwater/Thurston-County/Washington/Tumwater-staff-outline-housing-element-plan-must-add-roughly-9200-units-and-address-displacement-risks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6203192-e9092d1dfcadac9a6c3579b459a70944/orig.mp4?Expires=1773566646&Signature=owzEexHUBywaDHHKN1J1bNwIfbGl6s1ASOIQQCHUrpPxjSFFYCoq0b1drAPhCkMlRS09ChHh~ahYD6YtDQS8Xi5C6Tp2euY40attwon7SYRB-19imn97~TcCGcmp6Bl-8uhgcCqWdxcxLk72wxvUAiBV04XyYvRO3HcF6C1Knn3-1qxUb54pv67BMB4Kw-A68cf0a6I4BQjVPXvQPJITBU-08ha3ESTqnufYIOO962YTLS4QFBRrJgWNmm0QnT~XWfBKtsRdW~ddWkmRp8RRYdLYzgL1WxTIYsEQQWfkGzt1pPyviTIxX8u~hz4wayMABFuN168Ryge1CUB4aOmCew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tumwater, WA - City Government","date","2025-06-12T15:04:29.707Z","article","City planning staff presented a draft housing element for Tumwater’s comprehensive plan at the June 10 council work session, telling council members the city must accommodate roughly 9,192 additional housing units across the city and its urban growth area and prioritize capacity for households under 80% of area median income (AMI).

Brad, a city staff member presenting the element, told the council that the Growth Management Act requires cities to plan for housing affordable to all economic segments. Staff summarized results from the housing needs assessment, land capacity analysis and a racially disparate impacts review produced for the update.

Why it matters: the housing element establishes goals, policies and implementation actions that will guide zoning, incentives, and partnerships over the 20-year planning horizon and help the city demonstrate compliance with state planning requirements.

Key figures and capacities: staff said Tumwater had about 12,274 housing units in 2020 and that the countywide allocation process led to an additional need of roughly 9,192 units, producing an aggregate target near 21,466 housing units. Staff emphasized that the largest portion of that need falls under 80% AMI; meeting that demand will require low-rise and mid-rise multifamily housing, middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, townhomes), and public support or incentives for lower AMI groups.

The presentation discussed several technical measures: HUD median-income cutoffs used in AMI bands, a “portability/affordability index” for buyers and renters, and a cost-burden analysis showing a sizable share of households spending 30% or more of income on housing. Brad said the land capacity analysis compared allocated need to existing zoning capacity and found only a narrow surplus for the 0–80% AMI range under current zoning and development patterns; staff proposed adjustments to zoning categories and density ranges in the land use element to increase capacity.

Displacement and equity: staff reported a racially disparate impacts review and identified economic displacement (loss of lower-cost housing and mobile home community risks) as a prominent local concern. The draft element includes anti-displacement policies and proposed implementation actions targeting mobile home park protections, tenant stability programs and partnerships to expand ownership opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups.

Council members asked about ownership opportunities, cottage housing, transit service and infrastructure timing. Brad said townhomes and condominiums can support ownership opportunities but acknowledged financing, condominium law complexity and the local development market constrain some options; he recommended pursuing demonstration projects and public–private partnerships to expand ownership types. On transit, staff said the city is coordinating with Intercity Transit and regional partners and is including infrastructure planning alongside housing to avoid unfunded sprawl.

Next steps: staff will post the housing element and appendices in the council packet folder, solicit council feedback and schedule follow-up discussion; the element will be refined ahead of an ordinance this fall as part of the comprehensive-plan update process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session June 10 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff previewed the housing element of the comprehensive plan, describing an assigned countywide allocation of roughly 9,192 additional housing units, a focus on housing affordable to households under 80% AMI, and proposed goals and implementation actions to reduce displacement and expand housing types.","taxTitle","Tumwater, Thurston County, Washington","taxId",70653,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6203197,"Statistically valid Tumwater survey finds roads, homelessness and housing top resident concerns",2438,82000,2520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3783962-28a9d3db98dcf12c9a1adccf546f2df6&start=82&end=2520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3783962-28a9d3db98dcf12c9a1adccf546f2df6/thumbnail_82000.jpg","/articles/6203197/Tumwater/Thurston-County/Washington/Statistically-valid-Tumwater-survey-finds-roads-homelessness-and-housing-top-resident-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6203197-88851e775be410ecab22e9daaed8a2c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773566646&Signature=IEyLcCMbPJ37HcpKgqIskAGh621-6WRlLFl8Dzvtnaz2wCXDVW5DN1SXVXnxiCH~pNQamS2hmNY6jKw7ybBK4AxGWiHb-x0YGVaP8G~drUHQQxjUsIc9RvnIC32kYUePe9NV7bCH5ZcyE0U2MigkZhaWJWMzeMdYeUIpvV~eivqHDQEJmbqWUhYw1H4TKXfK-67LCE~xtH-VbHwk26-wrzrlThfmGi9hzD7hZSJqCb50LvJMK4XkECkkgufLT4rbRkC1wZioRZXrTzxKzAzeVepNOaeTVD3rL0Sd7U9aMazFZpPZVfHOZbXLJl3YNjHELxBcVU9iNXPGiThok0K9AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DHM Research presented top-line results from a statistically valid survey of 300 Tumwater residents at the Tumwater City Council work session on June 10, showing transportation infrastructure (18%), homelessness/poverty (14%) and affordable housing (12%) as the most-cited issues residents want the city to address.

The firm’s project manager, Kara Kornochuk of DHM Research, told the council the statistically valid survey was fielded May 3–17 with quotas by age, gender, race/ethnicity, education and income to align with American Community Survey estimates. “This survey…we actually were able to get, 300 a sample of 300 people, which is fantastic,” Kornochuk said, and she noted the survey’s margin of error is ±5.7 percentage points.

Why it matters: the results are intended to inform Tumwater’s strategic plan and provide a baseline for tracking opinion over time. The city is running a second, non-random community engagement survey open through midnight June 20; that survey had about 227 responses at the time of the presentation and will be analyzed separately and compared with the statistically valid sample.

DHM Research analyst David Fan walked the council through respondent demographics and topline ratings. He reported that 95% of respondents rated Tumwater’s quality of life as “good” or “very good,” with half calling it “very good.” On service delivery, respondents gave the city its highest marks for delivering services efficiently, creating a sense of belonging and keeping residents informed; the city scored lower on “focusing on priorities that matter most to residents” (46%) and “managing the public’s money” (45%).

Kornochuk and Fan used an index of priority versus satisfaction to highlight areas where residents see high priority but low satisfaction. These included street construction and maintenance, responding to homelessness and managing growth and development. Fan emphasized that, despite the index results, “almost all” categories showed a majority of residents were satisfied with city performance overall; for example, raw satisfaction with street construction and maintenance was reported at 66%.

Council members asked follow-up questions about how the open community survey will be handled and compared with the statistically valid sample. Kornochuk said the two surveys will not be combined; instead the engagement survey will be compared to the random sample to show differences between the broader public and the more-engaged respondents. She explained the engagement survey includes a screening question about prior completion and that staff will review duplicate or implausibly repeated responses and remove obvious duplicates during processing.

On public safety and environment, the statistically valid sample showed most residents feel safe in Tumwater; among the roughly 8% (about 25 people) who reported feeling unsafe, crime and homelessness were the most-cited reasons. On environmental priorities, 28% of respondents listed preservation via construction permitting as the top conservation priority.

Next steps: DHM will deliver the complete analysis, cross-tabs and a full report for both surveys on July 9; the engagement-survey field period closes June 20. The consultants and city staff said they will provide demographic breakdowns and additional reporting in the final deliverable.","DHM Research presented results from a statistically valid survey of 300 Tumwater residents showing transportation infrastructure, homelessness/poverty and affordable housing as the top issues; a second open community survey remains active through June 20 and consultants will deliver the full report July 9.","actionData","errors"]

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Tumwater staff outline housing element: plan must add roughly 9,200 units and address displacement risks

Statistically valid Tumwater survey finds roads, homelessness and housing top resident concerns