Required Updates - Housing

Redmond 2050 - Required Updates for Housing

At a high level, required updates to Housing policies include:

• Aligning with the Regional Housing Strategy found in VISION 2050;
• Accommodating planned population growth;
• Mitigating displacement of disenfranchised populations;
• Promoting housing security and encouraging community stability, particularly for lower income households; and
• Achieving a more balanced jobs-to-housing ratio.

The countywide planning policy updates have a strong focus on equity and program evaluation. There is a strong theme of removing barriers that have disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. The countywide planning policies also require jurisdictions to pursue implementation strategies and regulations that will generate housing for people at all income levels. In addition, the countywide planning policies identify data collection requirements that will allow organizations to evaluate their programs and compare results across the region.

These updates reflect the Redmond 2050 theme of Equity and Inclusion. Equity policies include promoting the adoption of anti-displacement policies. Further, jurisdictions are required to document the local history of racially exclusive and discriminatory housing practices, implement strategies to address those impacts, and repair past harms. This policy direction includes collecting data to monitor progress towards meeting countywide housing targets and providing information for use in the King County Affordable Housing Dashboard.