Housing our Local Economy
Each month, The Beacon invites a different housing organization to contribute a column on housing solutions in Jefferson County.
This month, the column is by Eric Jones from the Housing Solutions Network
My daughter and I walk over to Salish Coast Elementary early today – we are normally among the “run to the door before the bell” crowd. It’s not long before kids and parents start appearing from all angles. There is a wide sampling of Jefferson County’s workforce present: a video producer, an event coordinator, a flower farmer, a house painter; even the city manager is here. I say hi to a friend of mine; he “works on boats” and has a job that allows him to flex his hours around his kids’ schedules and volunteer opportunities in the school. His partner is away on business, and we coordinate my watching his youngest so he can make it to a Physical Therapy appointment.
Later at my desk, Amanda, the Executive Director for the Jefferson County Farmers Market, wanders past my window. I watch her pick up a loaf from the Chimacum Grainery bread share nearby. The grainery mills and bakes bread out at Finnriver, a property owned by the Jefferson Land Trust, whose staff can be seen in the windows behind her. This connection sinks deeper as Finnriver Farm is one of 90 vendors registered at this year's farmers market. Suddenly, I am aware of the chatter wafting over from Finistère. Happy hour is underway, which means it is getting close to quitting time. I remember I have to get to the Printery before they close. On my walk over, I notice Sam of Uptown Cutlery has his little one running around the courtyard while he finishes up work. I recognize the truck of someone who operates among the collective of farmers at the Natembea property.
As I cut my printed materials, I reflect on how diverse and connected our local economy is, but also on its vulnerability. Fractures from the Housing Crisis are already obvious. Many businesses are chronically understaffed and are regularly filling job vacancies with residents from neighboring counties. Home prices are more unaffordable than ever. According to Seattle-based economist Matthew Gardner, last year in Jefferson County, the average single-family home mortgage payment (principal and interest) for first-time home buyers was 72.8% of the average household income, second highest in Washington only to San Juan County. This doesn’t even include other essential housing costs such as property taxes, home insurance, mortgage insurance, and utilities. Considering that 79% of Jefferson County housing stock is single-family homes (this does not include mobile homes, which constitute another 12%), what this boils down to is: if you don’t already own a home, you’re unlikely to afford one in Jefferson County on local wages. This only puts upward pressure on long-term rentals. Rental vacancies here are next to none; if someone has to move home, this too often means moving away, and with them goes a medical tech, a line cook, or a county planner. Like a home with a failing foundation, our approach to housing needs to be rebuilt.
To this end, Housing Solutions Network, with the endorsement of the Economic Development Council and Jefferson Community Foundation, recently launched a community-wide survey to clearly connect how housing constraints are impacting the economy of Jefferson County. This survey will dig past opinions and anecdotal stories to uncover statistical data that will be helpful in crafting better housing policy, informing housing development, and setting funding priorities; its goal is to keep you in Jefferson County. If you are connected to Jefferson County in any way, whether you live here, work here, moved away, tried to work here, and so on, I implore you to take the Community Survey. We need your input in advocating for housing that serves all segments of our community. The timing of this is crucial as presented data for our rural county is already limited compared to more populated parts of the state, and through the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw dramatic disruptions to the data collection processes. Both Port Townsend and Jefferson County are currently working through their Comprehensive Plan Periodic Updates, which will be due by the end of 2025. These documents will guide development in our area for the next 10 years. If you care about the future of Jefferson County, take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey, and your neighbors will thank you.
Eric is the Communication Strategist for Housing Solutions Network, a Jefferson County focused nonprofit advocating for affordable workforce housing and facilitating a network of communication and partnerships between housing providers, governments, business and the community at large.
