Planners tell Spokane council housing element leaves roughly 4,400-unit shortfall; Planning Commission hearing set April 14

Spokane planning staff told the City Council on March 5 that the city must plan for roughly 22,400 new housing units over the planning period and that current zoning and development capacity leave a shortfall of about 4,400 units in the most affordable band.

Kevin Freeboard, a planner leading the housing presentation, said the citys allocation is built from a regional forecast and county allocation process. "Ultimately what we have is about twenty two thousand four hundred new housing units that we need to accommodate," he said, adding that the state tool used to split needs by affordability bands does not require the city to build those units but to show capacity and policy tools to accommodate them.

The shortfall, staff told council, reflects both projected growth and a need to "catch up" for past underproduction. Staff described the state Housing Allocation Planning Tool (provided by Commerce) and said the required analysis separates housing needs into affordability bands tied to area median income and HUD rules. With current zoning and standards, staff said the city is about "44 units short on the most affordable…