Timnath plans housing action plan to address affordability; commissioners debate tools

Staff announced the town received a state grant to prepare a housing action plan, a state-required follow-up to the housing-needs assessment that must be completed by Jan. 1, 2028. The plan will identify strategies to increase affordable housing and will include a displacement strategy required by the state.

"I believe that's how we defined it in the housing needs assessment," a commissioner said when asking whether "affordable" will be defined by area median income. Staff indicated the typical definition (80% of AMI) was used in the needs assessment and that the action plan is intended to craft strategies'from zoning updates to fee alignment and housing programs'that reflect local goals and funding opportunities. Commissioners urged caution: some said developers often deliver higher-end units despite initial affordability pitches and recommended exploring permanent affordability tools such as shared-equity models and community land trusts to produce lasting outcomes.

Staff emphasized the action plan is a strategy document and not an immediate mandate to build specific programs; completion of the plan also opens eligibility for certain state funding (noted Prop. 123). The commission directed staff to incorporate commissioner feedback into the housing action plan scoping and to return with a timeline for implementation.