Associate Planner Casey Scheffler presented the draft Housing chapter for the Olympia 2045 comprehensive‑plan update at the Oct. 14 study session, telling council the chapter incorporates two new technical products required or recommended by state law and recent regional work: the 2024 land‑capacity analysis (housing capacity/needs) and a multi‑jurisdiction housing displacement and racially disparate‑impacts analysis prepared by Uncommon Bridges.

Housing capacity and displacement findings

Sch effler told council the land‑capacity work and the housing needs analysis project that Olympia and its urban growth area will need approximately 14,295 new housing units by 2045 to accommodate projected population growth. He said the displacement analysis found Olympia is at particular risk for loss of existing low‑income homeownership alongside a shortfall of rental units affordable to very‑low‑income households and recommended policies to identify and reduce racially disparate impacts and physical displacement.

Policy responses added to chapter

Staff said they added a new goal in the housing chapter focused explicitly on reducing racially disparate outcomes and supporting stable housing and ownership for Black, Indigenous and people of color. The chapter also adds tenant‑protection policies and language memorializing recent and ongoing city programs including the One Community plan and the Housing Action Plan. Sch effler told council some of the tenant protections are already being implemented administratively or by ordinance; the comprehensive‑plan language is intended to align long‑range policy with those programmatic actions.

Mapping and next steps

Planning staff are finalizing a displacement‑risk map that combines social‑vulnerability, demographic change and market‑change indicators at the census‑tract level; the map is included as a draft exhibit in the chapter. Sch effler said planning staff will make final edits and return to council for acceptance and then incorporation of the chapter into the full Olympia 2045 adoption package.

Speakers (attributed in reporting)

- Casey Scheffler, Associate Planner
- Crystal Lenson, Housing staff (work lead referenced)
- Olympia Planning Commission (comment letter noted)

Clarifying details

- Housing needs projection: ~14,295 new units for Olympia and urban growth area by 2045 (land‑capacity/housing needs analysis).
- Displacement study conducted by Uncommon Bridges, finalized June 6, 2025; recommended anti‑displacement policy changes and mapping of displacement risk.

Authorities referenced

- Housing needs and land‑capacity analysis (regional planning technical work) — referenced by planning staff.
- Displacement and racially disparate impacts analysis (multi‑jurisdiction study by Uncommon Bridges) — referenced by planning staff.

Provenance

- topicintro: {"block_id":"block_12908.74-12940.07","local_start":0,"local_end":1000,"evidence_excerpt":"And thank you, Council members, for having me here at this meeting. For the record, my name is Casey Shoffler. I will try to be fairly brief tonight.","reason_code":"topicintro"}
- topfinish: {"block_id":"block_14163.24-14176.355","local_start":0,"local_end":1000,"evidence_excerpt":"Well, thank you Casey. Alright. That's all I had. Is there anything else? ... With no further business before the Olympia City Council, we're adjourned.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}

Salience:{"overall":0.74,"overall_justification":"Housing capacity, anti‑displacement policy and racial‑equity goals directly shape development, affordability and long‑term community stability; the chapter changes formalize analytic findings into policy."},

searchable_tags:["housing","displacement","anti_displacement","housing_needs","land_capacity","Uncommon_Bridges","reparations"],