Skagit County expands 0.09 economic development grant criteria to include affordable workforce housing

Skagit County Commissioners on Monday approved a resolution revising the county's criteria for awarding rural county economic development public facilities grant funds (the '20.09'2 funds) to allow funding for affordable workforce housing and to set application, scoring and award limits. The board voted 3-0 to adopt the revised criteria.

The change follows a state-law revision cited during the meeting (pursuant to RCW 82.14 0.37) that added "affordable workforce housing infrastructure or facilities" to eligible uses for the 0.09 sales-and-use-tax distribution to distressed counties. Jennifer Johnson, deputy county administrator, presented the resolution and said it updates the 7-member advisory committee composition and the county's eligibility and scoring criteria.

George Kosovich, senior public health analyst, told commissioners the statutory change broadened allowable uses to include housing infrastructure, facilities or land and clarified that funds may be used by nonprofit or public entities but not for-profit developers. Kosovich said the statute uses a 120% area median income standard but the county's recommendation narrows funding focus to projects serving…