Chamber of Commerce to look at affordable housing

This Thursday morning, Feb. 5, the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce presents another in “Business Essentials,” a series of presentations and workshops of interest to its members and the public, this time pertaining to the issue of affordable housing on Orcas Island and the San Juans.

The morning session with guest speakers Angela Lausch (San Juan County), Lisa Byers (OPAL) and John Campbell (Homes for Islanders).

Coffee, tea and pastries will be served beginning at 7:45 a.m. at the Outlook Inn, Victorian Room.

The Chamber asks members for a $5 donation, and non-members a $10 donation, to help offset room costs.

Last month, County Senior Planner Colin Maycock held a public discussion at the Eastsound Fire Hall regarding the most recent Housing Needs Assessment draft, which concluded that 2,248 housing units will be needed for the 2025 county population.

“At the most basic level,” Maycock said, “the county needs the above units, of which 1,000 need to be affordable for people earning up to $100,000 per year.”

Economic segregation
With the average county wage of $32,000 (about 30% lower than for most jobs on mainland) Maycock said, “unless you possess substantial capital upon moving to the county, you won’t be able to afford housing.”

Marlia Starweather asked if the median cost for home sold in San Juan County in 2008 was $559,000, and Maycock confirmed that figure.

OPAL Director Lisa Byers commented that the term “workforce” should be either defined or abandoned in favor of a return to GMA language which says “provide for all economic levels of community.”

Bob Gamble, Planning Commission member said, “Why not say median wages, rather than median income?

“People look at artificially high income in the county and don’t understand the problem. Income is not an accurate measure, perhaps wages is. The problem should be described as accurately as possible,” Gamble said.

Maycock said that housing prices have gone up 125% since 2000, and that people at the lower end of the income scale can’t afford to live here; so there’s fewer people in that demographic category.

“The 2010 census will show a significant drop at bottom of the scale,” Maycock said. “It underplays the magnitude of the problem because … effectively we’ve eliminated sectors of the population.

“Economic segregation is happening.”

(For more about this meeting, go to the Jan. 7 post, Affordable “workforce” housing – possibility or illusion?) or click on “affordable housing” in the search window at top of site).