12/06/2008: "County Housing Needs Assessment Ready For Review & Comment"

CD&PD (Community Development & Planning) has just made available for review the 2008-2025 Housing Needs Assessment.pdf (287\k file) for San Juan County.

There are three options given at the end of the study: 1. Do Nothing; 2. Plan for a work force that does not live in the county, and 3. Develop an effective response to a shortage of housing.

The Housing Element of the SJC Comprehensive Plan is required to have "an inventory and analysis of existing and projected housing needs that identifies the number of housing units necessary to manage projected growth," and the new assessment study was done as a part of producing the other released document, the draft Housing Element.pdf (122\k file); which will update the Comprehensive Plan

The study is full of interesting facts, some of which contradict some of the standard understandings of our local economy and our housing needs.

One example is "the percentage of total personal income that comes from transfer payments such as interest, dividends or rent." Not tourism, not construction. "Currently approximately 46% of total personal income in the county is derived from investments while only 27% is derived from wages."

Public meetings on the Housing Element will be scheduled for January, and the Housing Needs Assessment and the Draft Comp Plan element will be reviewed by the Planning Commission at a public hearing on December 17 (Islander’s Bank Annex) for their consideration and discussion.