|
Housing is the single biggest factor impacting economic mobility for most Americans. Like many desirable locations in the United States, Poulsbo has experienced a surge in housing costs over the past few years with the average median price of a single-family home increasing $200,000 in the last 5 years (2017-2021 -420,800 (US Census Quick Facts) & 594K (April, 2023 Redfin). The influx of residents and limited housing supply have driven up prices, making it increasingly difficult for both renters and potential homeowners to find affordable options.
Locally, Kitsap County Association of Realtors held a Target Housing Summit last month that was attended by Mayor Erickson, with guest speakers including Congressman Derek Kilmer and State Representative Spencer Hutchins. Senior Planner Nikole Coleman and I were invited to participate in a panel discussion at the event to answer questions about our comprehensive plan update and the cities and county’s role in addressing the housing supply.
The Keynote Guest Speaker was Gregg Colburn (speaking in the photo below), Author of Homelessness is a Housing Problem and assistant professor of Real Estate at the UW College of Built Environments. In his presentation he summarized the range of conventional beliefs about what drives the prevalence of homeless in a given city including mental illness, drug use, poverty, weather, generosity of public assistance, and low-income mobility. He explained that that none of these beliefs explains why homeless rates are so much higher in Seattle than in Chicago. His conclusion was that housing market conditions, such as the cost and availability of rental housing, offer a more convincing explanation.
| 
