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Committee considers aspirational homeownership target for three largest jurisdictions
Summary
A subcommittee-recommended homeownership goal framed as aspirational would apply to Spokane County and the region's two largest cities; the policy uses each jurisdiction's 10-year average as a baseline and will be edited by staff and reviewed by PTAC before further action.
Steering committee members reviewed a proposed countywide planning policy establishing an aspirational homeownership target for the three largest jurisdictions: Spokane County, the City of Spokane and Spokane Valley.
The subcommittee that drafted the proposal moved away from a single uniform percentage and instead recommended each jurisdiction adopt a goal based on its 10-year owner-occupancy average. Commissioner Patricia French, who proposed the original idea, described the approach as aspirational, not mandatory: “It’s a goal. It’s an aspirational goal. It’s not a requirement,” she said.
Members discussed scope and timing. Several officials said the target should initially apply only to the three largest jurisdictions while allowing smaller towns to opt in or request county assistance. Staff suggested an effective timeframe to permit jurisdictions to incorporate the goal into upcoming comprehensive-plan updates; 2027 was offered as a reasonable milestone for smaller jurisdictions to phase in requirements.
Speakers raised feasibility concerns for very low-area median income (AMI) homeownership targets. One mayor asked whether planning for ownership at 50% or less of AMI is realistic and urged caution about language that appears mandatory rather than aspirational.
A public commenter urged attention to density and mixed housing types—townhomes, cottage housing and stack flats—as ways to make ownership more attainable. Staff confirmed PTAC will review proposed text edits and return recommendations to the steering committee before the committee’s Aug. 12 meeting.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the steering committee's comments, send revisions to PTAC for technical review, and provide a revised draft for the Aug. 12 meeting.
