Solution to housing crisis that no one is discussing

Seattle’s affordable housing crisis continues to push prices higher in Thurston County. According to April data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, the median price of a home here has increased 11 percent — to nearly $260,000 — in the past year.

As we struggle to find solutions, the problem should not be a surprise.

A 1994 letter to members of Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington predicted today’s situation. Legislative Chair Ron Hess observed: “[f]or economic and political reasons, exacerbated by the effect of the Growth Management Act, affordable housing is headed for a crisis.”

Unfortunately, 1994 was a peak for new manufactured homes in Washington — 7,332 new manufactured homes were sited that year. By 2013, that number declined to just 661.

How did we end up in this crisis? Part of the answer was included in Mr. Hess’ 1994 letter.

“[T]he Growth Management Act is now putting in place 20-year plans that will control the shape of the future. [Manufactured housing communities] are not faring well at all under these local plans. This is a critical issue for the future of our industry with a great ripple effect.”

Mr. Hess’ predictions proved alarmingly accurate.

For all its benefits — protecting the environment, preserving farmlands and containing urban sprawl — the Growth Management Act also artificially limits the availability of buildable land.

GMA makes it incredibly difficult — and sometimes impossible — to site new manufactured home communities, foreclosing for many an important source of housing. While we’re fortunate to have more than 75 manufactured home communities in Thurston County, we’ve seen very few new communities built in the last two decades.

In fact, the Thurston Regional Planning Council’s 2014 Buildable Lands Report projects there’ll be fewer people living in manufactured homes in 20 years — when we should be providing additional housing options. Manufactured home communities are a smart, practical, affordable and sustainable option for meeting a variety of housing needs and lifestyles.

We remain uniquely positioned to address the affordability issue. The average price of a new manufactured home is typically under $100,000. The monthly lot rent in a manufactured home community in Thurston County is often under $700, which may include clubhouse access or additional RV storage. The total cost is less then just about any other type of non-subsidized housing in this area.

Buildable land supply, suitable zoning and permitting predictability for manufactured homes must be part of any conversation about how we tackle the affordable housing crisis.

Our industry looks forward to partnering with government officials, nonprofits, community groups, and business leaders to identify and implement effective solutions to address the housing crisis because manufactured home communities are ideal for those looking to get the most out of their housing dollars.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Solution to housing crisis that no one is discussing."