Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner to research 'shared housing' models as affordability option
Summary
A commissioner volunteered to research shared-housing programs (including municipal pilots and matching services such as Nestorly) and to present a concise memo describing options, possible city roles and action items to the commission.
Commissioner John (speaker identified in the record) raised "shared housing" as a potential local affordability measure and volunteered to prepare a short memo with examples, implementation models and policy options.
John said shared-housing programs — which can match homeowners (often seniors) with vetted housemates or younger residents — have precedent in other states and some Washington municipalities. He cited an item in the Seattle Times noting an estimated 239,000 vacant bedrooms in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties as contextual background and named Nestorly as one matching service used elsewhere.
Commissioners asked John to explore a range of program models (city-run, licensed commercial platforms, or nonprofit partnerships), to identify whether local code or licensing would need adjustment, and to suggest a short list of actions the city could take next. Staff clarified that commissioners may collect background facts and contact organizations for information but may not represent the commission in external outreach without clear disclosure that they are conducting background research.
John agreed to compile a concise research note, list possible implementation options and share it with commissioners before next steps are considered.
