Few topics have captivated community discussion as much as housing affordability, both here in Port Angeles, and in communities across the state and the Pacific Northwest.
A variety of factors are at play – everything from a growing population to geography to a limited number of homes. With no easy answers, solutions call for innovative ideas, especially with 38 percent of households in Port Angeles reporting they are cost-burdened by housing.
For the City of Port Angeles, those innovations have come in its “Pursuing Housing for All” initiative, a municipal code amendment adopted by the Council in 2023 to address housing challenges posed by geographic isolation, limited land availability and infrastructure constraints.
By removing regulatory barriers and creating more opportunities for development, and working with stakeholders and local neighborhoods, the City is encouraging a more diverse range of middle housing options.
For example, New Improvement for Community Enhancement – or NICE – Neighborhood Grants provide strategic, public capital investment in infrastructure such as transportation, electrical, water, sewer and stormwater improvements for areas with high development and redevelopment potential that can help increase the City’s tax revenue.
Permit-ready housing plans, in a variety of configurations, lower the barrier for infill housing development. Courtesy City of Port Angeles
Other incentives include a multi-family tax exemption for new housing units, a fee-waiver program that eliminates 25 building and land use permit fees, and permit-ready housing plans, which lower the barrier for infill housing development by decreasing construction costs and permit processing times.
City recognized for work undertaken to date
In April, the City received the 2025 Implementation Award from the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association and Planning Association of Washington, recognizing its innovative and impactful initiatives, setting a new standard for housing development for Washington.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Community and Economic Development team…This recognition reflects the team’s exceptional work translating policy into action,” says CED Manager Shannen Cartmel, commending the Council members, Planning Commissioners, community partners and staff whose efforts have helped bring this vision to life. “This award is a powerful acknowledgment of their commitment to creating lasting, positive change in our city.”
More to come – and how you can get involved
Staff have brought together all the feedback received from various outreach events, public meetings and stakeholder meetings, and will present it at an open house, June 12, 2025, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel (221 N. Lincoln St.) in the Peninsula Room, through the first draft of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.
Next, on June 13, City staff, stakeholders and residents will undertake Neighborhood Walks – open, walking discussions in select neighborhoods as a way to better understand them, their identity and people’s general concerns.
To learn more, visit cityofpa.us/AffordableHousing
