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December 3, 2021
Public hearing on proposed sales tax increase to fund new affordable housing opportunities
A public hearing will be held December 13 during the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners' regular business meeting to take testimony on a proposed 1/10 of 1 percent sales tax increase to fund construction of new affordable housing in our communities. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Kitsap County Administration Building at 619 Division Street, Port Orchard and via Zoom at the link here. The draft agenda is available here.
View the proposed ordinance here. Public testimony is strongly encouraged.
Kitsap County faces an affordable housing crisis exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Population forecasts indicate the County and its jurisdictions will need approximately 25,150 new housing units of all types and prices through 2036, or about 1,480 per year for the next 17 years. Between 2010 and 2017, jurisdictions across the County produced only 3,600 new housing units, or about 515 units per year. This deficit has greatly affected housing values and rental availability in our community. The annual housing production will need to almost triple to accommodate the expected necessary new housing units by 2036.
The 2020 Affordable Housing Recommendations Report, funded by Kitsap County and the City of Bremerton, highlights the critical need for more affordable housing for low-income individuals. Current funding availability to address this growing issue is not adequate and hurts many local families. Additional funding opportunities are gravely needed to increase affordable housing.
For more information on the affordable housing sales tax increase, contact Doug Washburn, director of the Kitsap County Department of Human Services, at dwashbur@co.kitsap.wa.us or (360) 337-5777.
More information on affordable housing, homelessness and related resources are available at the Kitsap County Housing and Homelessness Program website here.
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