Spokane County staff lay out housing shortfalls, cite state law requiring broader planning

Spokane County planning staff presented findings and draft goals for the county’s housing element at a March virtual open house, saying the county must plan under House Bill 1220 to meet housing needs across all income bands and tie land capacity analysis to housing capacity. "We are expecting to grow by approximately 95,000 people from 2024 to 2046," the presenter said, framing the scale of future demand.

The presentation summarized demographic trends, affordability indicators and allocation methodology that county staff used to convert Office of Financial Management population projections into housing unit targets. Staff said unincorporated Spokane County was assigned about 31% of regional housing growth—23% urban and 8% rural—and noted the county has land capacity to serve mid‑range market needs but a substantial deficit at the lowest AMI bands. "About 29% of Spokane County is considered cost burden," the presenter said, and rising home prices have outpaced income growth: the presenter gave a 2024 median home price of about $437,000 and said home-price growth (~160% since 2010) has outpaced median household income (~56% since 2010).

Why it matters: staff emphasized that a Growth Management Hearing Board decision involving Future Wise and Mercer Island reinforces that jurisdictions must provide adequate provisions for housing in both plans and implementing regulations, and that planning cannot rely solely on speculative or future subsidies. County staff warned that without explicit policies and funding, market forces will not deliver enough units affordable to those at 0–50% of AMI.

Key details: staff walked through how different housing types were assigned to AMI bands: multifamily units were targeted for 0–80% AMI but staff cautioned that market-rate multifamily generally serves only 50–80% in practice; middle housing and accessory dwelling units were tied to the 80–100% band; detached single‑family was associated with 120%+ AMI. The presenters also described tools the county may use—land banking, surplus public land for affordable housing, inclusionary zoning (incentivized or mandatory), and partnerships with low‑income housing providers—to close the gap.

On population and household characteristics, staff highlighted an aging trend (65+ rising from 17% to 23% of the population), a modest increase in household size in unincorporated areas (2.58 persons per household), and growing racial diversity that correlates with income and ownership disparities. The presentation distinguished cost‑burden (>30% of income spent on housing) and severe cost‑burden (>50%), and linked those conditions to tenure and race.

Next steps: staff said the housing needs assessment is nearly complete and that a detailed Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for April; staff expect a Planning Commission recommendation in the fourth quarter of 2026 and Board of County Commissioners consideration in December 2026, with subsequent updates to development regulations to implement adopted policies. The session was recorded and staff invited written comments through the county web/email contact points.

"These housing allocations are needed based on past data," a presenter said, adding that translating allocations into built affordable units will require specific funding strategies and regulatory changes. The open house concluded with an invitation for public comment and a reminder the recording will be posted to Spokane County's YouTube channel.