City aims to increase affordability
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The city is working on new housing policies to help more residents become homeowners, due to the Washington state legislatures’s 2023 Missing Middle Bill. Efforts to expand housing options in Airway Heights were discussed during the city council’s Nov. 25 meeting.
The bill was passed to address the state’s severe housing shortage, which is intended to give residents options that bridge the gap between single-family homes and high-density apartment buildings, and includes options like duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes.
Planning Director Heather Trautman presented updates on how Airway Heights is planning to make changes to the city’s municipal code regarding zoning in order to comply with House Bill 1110.
She explained that there are two things the planning department is trying to do with regard to missing middle housing.
“One is that we’re adding in definitions of lots and subdivisions,” she said. “The process of unit lot subdivisions is required as a function of the missing middle housing project.”
She explained that property owners can now subdivide their lots into townhomes and “sell them off,” noting that this would provide opportunities for homeownership rather than just a chance to rent.
The council also reviewed proposed amendments to subdivision standards, including the valuation of parkland acquisitions, to streamline development.
Trautman said the city plans to engage with the community on these changes after the holidays.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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