Governor Inslee stops in Airway Heights

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Sustainable housing units were the main topic of conversation when Governor Jay Inslee toured the newly opened Highland Village on Feb. 18

Learning about Habitat for Humanity Spokane efforts and speaking on the importance of energy-efficient housing, Inslee said the concept is multi-faceted.

"Energy efficiency is a two-fer," he said. "Not only is it a critical tool for affordability and reducing the ongoing cost of homeownership, but it also happens to be an important tool for reducing carbon emissions in residential buildings."

Habitat for Humanity Chief Operations Officer Eric Lyons said homes built with energy efficiency in mind help homeowners save money on their energy bills.

"Habitat has always looked at families through the lens of how can we save them more money," Lyons said. "We do a lot of things that are behind the drywall- things that are important for the longevity and the aging in place of that home."

Lyons said these homes in Highland Village are so efficient because they were built with energy-rated materials and insulated well.

"We'll over insulate the attic, spray seal all air penetrations, and then we door blower door testing to make sure we don't have any air lost anywhere," he said. "And then as soon as we create a very tight envelope, we bring in equipment to make sure we're bringing fresh air in and balance it with a well-designed heating system."

According to the Governor, future developments could benefit by adopting similar building practices used at Highland Village.

"Projects like Highland Village exemplify what we're supporting through programs like our state's Housing Trust Fund," Inslee said. "We've been putting historic investments into affordable housing, so more people with limited incomes have an entry-point into homeownership."

The Governor's Executive Director of Communications, Jaime Smith, said that the current legislation could increase the Housing Finance Commission bond cap. It would also allow affordable housing transfer through real estate excise tax and produce a bill to support the development of tiny homes.

According to Smith, the Governor would like to see $335 million allocated for rapid housing developments and $100 million to be put into the Housing Trust Fund, a primary source of funding for affordable housing projects. The Governor's plan also has $72 million going for crisis stabilization facilities for adults and youth.

The Senate numbers vary a bit, and they presented an idea that would put out $290 million for rapid housing, $71 million for the housing fund, and $86 million for crisis stabilization.

The numbers put on the house floor match up with Inslee regarding the trust fund and stabilization funding. However, the House plan would allocate $400 million into rapid housing projects.

Phase two of the Highland Village project is in the planning stage, and there is currently a $178,000 grant in the works to help fund this part of the development.