Building a Thriving Island County
Affordable housing for working families improves the resilience of our community.
What Makes Housing Affordable?
Affordable housing is defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as housing costs that do not exceed 30% of a household’s monthly income. Households spending over 30% on housing are considered cost burdened.
Area Median Income (AMI) is a metric used by HUD to measure income thresholds for a region. If a household earns 80% or less of the regions’ AMI, it’s considered “low income.” Workforce housing is often referred to as the “missing middle” – they often earn too much to qualify for housing assistance but do not earn enough to afford most market rate housing options.
Island Roots focuses on rental housing for local workers because there is a significant need and it’s an underserved demographic, representing a large gap in Island County's housing needs.
The Housing Crisis Impacts Us All
Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, and rural island communities like ours are even more acutely impacted. A 2022 Langley housing needs assessment found that young working families are disproportionately impacted by housing affordability – with rent unaffordable to 74% of Langley renters under 34 years old.
As housing prices go up and rental availability declines, more local residents are forced to leave the island. As a result, businesses have to reduce hours or close, school classrooms shrink, and families have to move off-island.
Impacts on Small Businesses
Housing insecurity creates staffing shortages and contributes to contracting economies. It means businesses are chronically short-staffed and local employees can’t afford housing where they work
The 2018 Langley housing survey found that 66% of employers reported employees had housing-related issues and 75% of local employers representing over 1,300 employees had difficulty finding and retaining employees due to lack of housing.
Unique Challenges for Rural Island Communities
Island County has affordability needs and development challenges that are unique to our rural island community.
As workers have to commute from “off-island” on an erratic ferry system, commuting costs rise exponentially and local wages can’t cover the cost.
Limited Housing Inventory
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High price of single-family homes
First time home buying is expensive and competitive, limiting the movement of renters to homeowners.
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Mismatch of incomes and cost
Price of housing is significantly higher than on-island incomes (low wages – service, retail, restaurant, seasonal tourism), driven up by off island or “work-from-anywhere incomes”.
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Short term rentals reduce units
Rental housing is being converted to tourist lodging and vacation homes that often sit empty much of the year.
Reduced Capacity for New Development
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Zoning
Few high-density residential land use zones; Properly zoned land often has significant critical areas that limit capacity.
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Cost
High material and labor costs due to transportation, handling, and travel time.
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Investment
Smaller projects don’t often interest multifamily contractors and don’t currently qualify for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
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Infrastructure
Challenges with water availability, perk limitations for septic tanks, and off-site connection costs.
Local Workers Can’t Afford to Live in Langley
Many working families in Langley can’t afford to live where they work. These dynamics have resulted in an unsustainable population with an ever-shrinking workforce:
68% of Langley residents are over retirement age
10% of Langley residents are under the age of 20
61% of renter households are cost-burdened
74% of 25-34 year old renters are cost burdened
67% of housing vacancies are due to seasonal use
Stable Housing Benefits Us All
Housing for all is the foundation of a thriving community and economy. It stimulates local economies by increasing local jobs, increasing disposable local incomes, supporting local businesses and sustaining local populations. It means locals and families can stay, which keeps them in the local workforce, contributing to the local economy.
How Can You Help?
Join us in creating an engaged community network that provides the resources necessary to create varied housing choices for a diverse population.