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Public commenters urge preservation, tenant protections and use of vacant hotels to address homelessness
Summary
During public comment, residents and advocates urged the task force to prioritize preservation of existing affordable units, tenant protections against displacement, use of vacant hotels/motels and stepped subsidies for families, and criticized short public‑comment time and developer‑focused approaches.
Several public commenters urged the task force to prioritize preservation and tenant protections rather than focusing solely on new construction. One speaker who identified local Redmond zoning changes warned that incentives for redevelopment could displace many existing renters and said city materials lacked maps and lists showing which buildings would be affected.
Other commenters pressed for the state to convert vacant motels and hotels into housing, expand preservation tools and ensure affordable units targeted to very low incomes (30% of income) rather than only relying on AMI targets. A number of speakers also asked the task force to lengthen public comment time and to ensure transparency and consistent state definitions across programs.
