Liberty Lake staff says city has enough land capacity for county housing allocation, outlines housing-policy timeline

City planning staff told the Liberty Lake Planning Commission on Jan. 22 that a land capacity analysis (LCA) prepared for the city shows sufficient land and entitled housing units to meet the county's housing allocation for the 2020–2046 planning period.

The planner said the LCA is required by the Growth Management Act and is intended to demonstrate both population capacity and the ability to supply housing types deemed affordable at different income levels under the Department of Commerce methodology. "It is foundational to our comp plan," the staff member said, explaining the analysis informs transportation, utilities, schools and capital facilities planning.

The countywide allocation used in the draft analysis projects Liberty Lake's population at about 21,934 by 2046. Using the Department of Commerce Housing for All Planning Tool (HAPT) categories, staff said Liberty Lake’s draft housing allocation for 2020–2046 is roughly: a little over 3,500 units for households at 0–80% of area median income (AMI); 613 units for 80–120% AMI; and about 1,100 units for above 120% AMI. The draft allocation also includes a separate count for…