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Workforce housing is a priority of King County Democrats
Central Committee. We understand that these bond-based funds need to be mixed
income to pencil out. We're fine with 51% of units being at or below 80% of the
area median. That would mean partial subsidies to projects, of course.
What we're concerned about is including a definition of workforce housing The
principle is for the state to help those who need it the most, and to provide
the next step in a continuum for working people on welfare, those newly
released from institutions, for domestic violence victims, for part-time
students, for hotel, retail and restaurant workers and youths in transition,
for example. A difference between workforce housing and low-income housing is
no services are provided or required.
The second principle is that Dept of Commerce should be able to count the units
of workforce housing produced. Thus, in a 100-unit mixed-income development, 51
units would be counted as workforce housing and the remainder as market-rate.
We have evidence that the market is meeting the need for units rentable at 80%
of AMI and up. To provide the capability to track by county and by income
level, the legislation must include a definition of workforce housing that will
include all future uses of the phrase in state law and regulation.