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1. What is a Housing Action Plan?

To address housing affordability, the City of Oak Harbor applied for and received an $80,000 grant from the Department of Commerce (under E2SHB 1923) to develop a Housing Action Plan. The goal of the Housing Action Plan is to develop clear, actionable strategies that meet the current and projected housing needs of the City of Oak Harbor. State law requires the Housing Action Plan identify strategies to encourage construction of additional affordable and market-rate housing, allowing for a greater variety of housing types, and at prices that are accessible to a greater variety of incomes.

2. Why does Oak Harbor need a Housing Action Plan?

Housing affordability is a high priority not only for residents but for the City as well, including elected officials. While there have been discussions about housing policies at both the local and county-levels, a comprehensive local strategy with policies, regulations, and codes is needed. The Housing Action Plan will maximize existing policies, create strategies to fill needed gaps, and present a unified housing vision for the city, today and beyond.

A Housing Action Plan should be an interactive effort engaging a variety of local business and community stakeholders who have a vested interest and value housing needs and desires. By developing a Housing Action Plan, this will enable the City to develop effective and achievable policy recommendations, based on a thorough housing needs assessment, that both city leadership and residents will support.

Resulting Housing Action Plan strategies will be used to further inform and develop the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan, which is required by State law to be revised in 2025.