HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-24-2023 - Agenda Packet
MEDINA, WASHINGTON
PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL
MEETING
Hybrid-Virtual/In Person
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – 6:00 PM
AGENDA
COMMISSION CHAIR | Laura Bustamante
COMMISSION VICE-CHAIR | Shawn Schubring
COMMISSIONERS | Li-Tan Hsu, David Langworthy, Mark Nelson, Laurel Preston,
Mike Raskin
PLANNING MANAGER | Stephanie Keyser
Virtual Meeting Participation
Planning Commission participation in this meeting will be by teleconference/online only. Members
of the public may also participate by phone/online. Individuals wishing to speak live during the
Virtual Planning Commission meeting will need to register their request with the Development
Services Coordinator at 425.233.6414 or email rbennett@medina-wa.gov and leave a message
before 12PM on the day of the May 24 Planning Commission meeting. Please reference Public
Comments for May 24 Planning Commission Meeting on your correspondence. The Development
Services Coordinator will call on you by name or telephone number when it is your turn to speak.
You will be allotted 3 minutes for your comment and will be asked to sto p when you reach the 3-
minute limit.
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1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL
2. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3.1 Planning Commission Minutes of May 2, 2023
Recommendation: Approve Minutes.
Staff Contact: Rebecca Bennett, Development Services Coordinator
4. ANNOUNCEMENTS
4.1 Staff/Commissioners
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5. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Individuals wishing to speak live during the Planning Commission meeting will need to
register their request with the Development Services Coordinator, Rebecca Bennett, via
email () or by leaving a message at 425.233.6414 before 12pm the day of the Planning
Commission meeting. Please reference Public Comments for the May 24 Planning
Commission meeting on your correspondence. The Development Services Coordinator
will call on you by name or telephone number when it is your turn to speak. You will be
allotted 3 minutes for your comment and will be asked to stop when you reach the 3-
minute limit.
6. DISCUSSION
6.1 Housing Action Plan Report
Recommendation: Approve
Staff Contact(s): Stephanie Keyser, AICP, Planning Manager
Time Estimate: 60 minutes
7. ADJOURNMENT
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Planning Commission meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6 PM, unless
otherwise specified.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need a disability-related modification
or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in this meeting, please
contact the City Clerk’s Office at (425) 233-6410 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Tuesday, June 27th – Regular Meeting at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, July 26th – Regular Meeting at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, August 2nd – No PC Meeting
Tuesday, September 26th – Regular Meeting at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, October 24th – Regular Meeting at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, November 28th – Regular Meeting Cancelled – Special Meeting Date TBD
Tuesday, December 26th – Regular Meeting Cancelled – Special Meeting Date TBD
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MEDINA, WASHINGTON
PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL
MEETING
Hybrid-Virtual/In Person
Tuesday, May 02, 2023 – 6:00 PM
MINUTES
COMMISSION CHAIR | Laura Bustamante
COMMISSION VICE-CHAIR | Shawn Schubring
COMMISSIONERS | Li-Tan Hsu, David Langworthy, Mark Nelson, Laurel Preston, Mike Raskin
PLANNING MANAGER | Stephanie Keyser
1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL
Vice Chair Schubring called the meeting to order at 6:02pm.
PRESENT
Chair Laura Bustamante
Vice Chair Shawn Schubring
Commissioner Mark Nelson
Commissioner Laurel Preston
Commissioner Mike Raskin
ABSENT
Commissioner David Langworthy
STAFF
Bennett, Burns, Keyser, Romanenko, Wilcox
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2.1 Planning Commission Minutes of March 28, 2023
Recommendation: Approve Minutes.
Staff Contact: Rebecca Bennett, Development Services Coordinator
ACTION: Motion to approve minutes. (Approved 6-0)
Motion made by Commissioner Nelson, Seconded by Commissioner Raskin.
Voting Yea: Chair Bustamante, Vice Chair Schubring, Commissioner Hsu,
Commissioner Nelson, Commissioner Preston, Commissioner Raskin
3. ANNOUNCEMENTS
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AGENDA ITEM 3.1
3.1 Staff/Commissioners
Keyser made announcement that on May 22nd there is a joint council meeting being
held at city hall at 5:00pm
4. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
There was no audience participation.
5. PUBLIC HEARING
5.1 Housing Action Plan
Recommendation: Approve
Staff Contact(s): Stephanie Keyser, AICP, Planning Manager
Time Estimate: 60 minutes
Keyser gave presentation on the Housing Action Plan. Commissioners discussed and
asked questions.
Two residents of the city spoke about their concerns regarding the Housing Action Plan.
ACTION: To have a Planning Commission Meeting on the 23rd of May. (Approved 6-0).
Motion made by Commissioner Preston, Seconded by Vice Chair Schubring.
Voting Yea: Chair Bustamante, Vice Chair Schubring, Commissioner Hsu,
Commissioner Nelson, Commissioner Preston, Commissioner Raskin
ACTION: Provide Keyser with edits to the Housing Action Plan by May 12th. (Approved
6-0).
Motion made by Commissioner Preston, Seconded by Vice Chair Schubring.
Voting Yea: Chair Bustamante, Vice Chair Schubring, Commissioner Hsu,
Commissioner Nelson, Commissioner Preston, Commissioner Raskin
ACTION: To have the Planning Commission Meeting moved to the 24th of May.
(Approved 6-0).
Motion made by Commissioner Raskin, Seconded by Commissioner Hsu.
Voting Yea: Chair Bustamante, Vice Chair Schubring, Commissioner Hsu,
Commissioner Nelson, Commissioner Preston, Commissioner Raskin
6. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 7:24pm.
ACTION: Motion to adjourn. (Approved 6-0)
Motion made by Commissioner Hsu, Seconded by Commissioner Nelson.
Voting Yea: Chair Bustamante, Vice Chair Schubring, Commissioner Hsu,
Commissioner Nelson, Commissioner Preston, Commissioner Raskin
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AGENDA ITEM 3.1
MEDINA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA BILL
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Subject: Housing Action Plan
Category: Discussion and Vote
Staff Contact(s): Stephanie Keyser, Planning Manager
Summary
The Housing Action Plan (HAP) is a study of local issues and possible alternatives that the City
could consider. The strategies in the HAP were developed from the PRSC Housing Toolkit, the
Washington State Department of Commerce resources, and the Local Housing Solutions Toolkit.
This HAP, and the broad, high-level, best practices and possible strategies outlined in this HAP
are not directives; rather they can serve as a framework for and can be used as a resource to
help facilitate further discussion, analysis, and problem-solving for housing solutions. Next steps
and final action would be directed by the City Council, in consultation with the community at-large
and with advice from Planning Commission.
Planning Commission has discussed the HAP at their February 28th, May 2nd and now May 24th
meetings. Tonight, we need to vote on a recommendation that can be forwarded to Council for
their June 12th meeting.
Attachment(s) Housing Action Plan
Budget/Fiscal Impact: N/A
Recommendation: Approve
Proposed Commission Motion: Move to recommend approval of the Housing Action Plan
Time Estimate: 60 minutes
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MAY 2022
Prepared by:
CITY OF MEDINA
HOUSING
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
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Table of Contents
City of Medina | MAY 2022
Part 1: Introduction 1
1.1 BACKGROUND 1
1.2 METHODOLOGY 2
Part 2: Community Overview 3
2.1 LOCAL HISTORY AND SETTING 3
2.2 POPULATIONS 4
2.3 HOUSEHOLDS 7
2.4 WORKFORCE PROFILE 16
KEY TAKEAWAYS: COMMUNITY OVERVIEW 21
Part 3: Housing Conditions 22
3.1 HOUSING INVENTORY 22
3.2 HOME OWNERSHIP 25
3.3 RENTAL HOUSING 28
3.4 SUBSIDIZED HOUSING 30
KEY TAKEAWAYS: HOUSING CONDITIONS 31
Part 4: Gap Analysis 32
4.1 HOUSING NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH 32
4.2 DIVERSITY OF HOUSING CHOICES 37
4.3 LAND CAPACITY ANALYSIS 39
4.4 HUD LOCATION AFFORDABILITY INDEX 41
KEY TAKEAWAYS: GAP ANALYSIS 43
NEXT STEPS 44
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Table of Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Population Change (Medina) 4
Exhibit 2: Population by Age Range (Medina & King County) 5
Exhibit 3: Race and Ethnicity of Population (Medina & King County) 6
Exhibit 4: Households by Housing Tenure (Medina & King County) 7
Exhibit 5: Occupied Housing Units (Medina) 7
Exhibit 6: Household Size by Tenure (Medina) 8
Exhibit 7: Median Household Income by Household Type (Medina) 8
Exhibit 8: Percentage of Households by Income Level and Tenure (Medina) 9
Exhibit 9: Households by Income Level and Cost-Burden Status (Medina) 10
Exhibit 10: Proportional Cost-Burdened Households by Tenure (Medina) 10
Exhibit 11: Owners: Proportional Cost-Burden by Race and Tenure (Medina) 11
Exhibit 12: Renters: Proportional Cost-Burden by Race and Tenure (Medina) 11
Exhibit 13: PSRC Displacement Risk (Medina) 13
Exhibit 14: Households by Disability Status and Income Level (Medina) 14
Exhibit 15: Point in Time Count 2020 (King County) 15
Exhibit 16: Employment by Industry (Medina & King County) 16
Exhibit 17: Jobs-to-housing Ratio (Medina & King County) 16
Exhibit 18: Jobs Held by Residents by NAICS Industry Sector (Medina) 17
Exhibit 19: Job Density (Medina) 18
Exhibit 20: Inflow/Outflow Counts of all Jobs (Medina) 19
Exhibit 21: Employment Locations of Residents (Medina) 20
Exhibit 22: Housing Units, 2000 to 2021 (Medina) 22
Exhibit 23: Housing Inventory by Type (Medina) 22
Exhibit 24: Age of Housing Stock (Medina) 23
Exhibit 25: Permitted Units, 2010 - 2019 (Medina) 24
Exhibit 26: Percent Change in Home Values and HUD AMI Since 2010 (Medina) 24
Exhibit 27: Age of Owners (Medina) 25
Exhibit 28: Cost of Home Ownership (Medina) 26
Exhibit 29: Percentage of All Households by Income Bracket (Medina) 27
Exhibit 30: Age of Renters (Medina) 28
City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
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Table of Exhibits Continued
Exhibit 31: Median Gross Rent by Number of Bedrooms (Medina) 29
Exhibit 32: Affordability of Median Cost Rental Units (Medina) 29
Exhibit 33: Rental Units Available by Income Bracket (Medina) 29
Exhibit 34: Housing Demand Projections (Medina) 32
Exhibit 35: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina) 33
Exhibit 36: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina) 34
Exhibit 37: Projected Housing Needs and Gaps by Income Level (Medina) 35
Exhibit 38: Projected Housing Needs and Gaps by Income Level (Medina) 35
Exhibit 39: Current Gaps versus Projected Gaps Based on Existing Housing (Medina) 36
Exhibit 40: Housing Units Needed by 2044 to Accommodate Growth (Medina) 36
Exhibit 41: Comparison of Household Size versus Number of Bedrooms (Medina) 37
Exhibit 42: Cost-Burdened Households by Type and Income Level (Medina) 38
Exhibit 43: Zoning of Land Capacity Compared with Current Tenure (Medina) 39
Exhibit 44: Zoning of Land Capacity Compared with Projected Need (Medina) 40
Exhibit 45: HUD Location Affordability Index (Medina) 42
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Glossary
Affordable housing: The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers housing to be affordable if the household is spending no more than 30 percent of its income on housing costs (rent, mortgage payments, utilities, etc.). A healthy housing market includes a variety of housing types that are affordable to a range of different household income levels. However, the term “affordable housing” is often used to describe income restricted housing available only to qualifying low-income households. Income-restricted housing can be located in public, nonprofit, or for-profit housing developments. It can also include households using vouchers to help pay for market-rate housing (see “Vouchers” below for more details).
American Community Survey (ACS): This is an ongoing nationwide survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is designed to provide communities with current data about how they are changing. The ACS collects information such as age, race, income, commute time to work, home value, veteran status, and other important data from U.S. households.
Area median income (AMI): This is a term that commonly refers to the area-wide median family income calculation provided by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a county or metropolitan region. Income limits to qualify for affordable housing are often set relative to AMI. In this report, unless otherwise indicated, AMI refers to the HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI).
Cost-burden: When a household that spends more than 30 percent of their gross income on housing costs, including utilities, they are cost-burdened. When a household pays more than 50 percent of their gross income on housing, including utilities, they are severely cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households have less money available for other essentials, like food, clothing, transportation, and medical care.
Fair market rent (FMR): HUD determines what a reasonable rent level should be for a geographic area and sets this as the area’s fair market rent. Housing choice voucher program voucher holders are limited to selecting units that do not rent for more than fair market rent.
Family: This census term refers to a household where two or more people are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.
Household: A household is a group of people living within the same housing unit. The people can be related, such as family. A person living alone in a housing unit, or a group of unrelated people sharing a housing unit, is also counted as a household. Group quarters population, such as those living in a college dormitory, military barrack, or nursing home, are not considered to be living in households. The census sometimes refers to “occupied housing units” and considers all persons living in an occupied housing unit to be a single household. So, Census estimates of occupied housing units and households should be equivalent.
Household income: The census defines household income as the sum of the income of all people 15 years and older living together in a household.
Householder: This refers to the person (or one of the people) in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented.
Income-restricted housing: This term refers to housing units that are only available to households with incomes at or below a set income limit and are offered for rent or sale at a below-market rates. Some income-restricted rental housing is owned by a city or housing authority, while others may be privately owned. In the latter case the owners typically receive a subsidy in the form of a tax credit or property tax exemption. As a condition of their subsidy, these owners must offer a set percentage of all units as income-restricted and affordable to household at a designated income level.
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Glossary
Low-income: Families that are designated as low-income may qualify for income-subsidized housing units. HUD categorizes families as low-income, very low-income, or extremely low-income relative to area median family incomes (MFI), with consideration for family size.
INCOME CATEGORY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Extremely low-income 30% of HAMFI or less
Very low-income 30-50% of HAMFI
Low-income 50-80% of HAMFI
Moderate income 80-100% of HAMFI
Above median income >100% of HAMFI
Median family income (MFI): The median income of all family households in the metropolitan region or county. Analyses of housing affordability typically group all households by income level relative to area median family income. Median income of non-family households is typically lower than for family households. In this report, both MFI and AMI refer to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Area Median Family Income (HAMFI).
Subsidized housing: Public housing, rental assistance vouchers, and developments that use Low-income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) are examples of subsidized housing. Subsidized housing lowers overall housing costs for people who live in it. Affordable housing and subsidized housing are different, even though they are sometimes used interchangeably.
Tenure: Tenure references the ownership of a housing unit in relation to the household occupying the unit. According to the US Census Bureau, a housing unit is “owned” if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit, even if it is mortgaged or not fully paid for. A cooperative or condominium unit is “owned” only if the owner or co-owner lives in it. All other occupied units are classified as “rented,” including units rented for cash rent and those occupied without payment of cash rent.
Transportation: In context of the Location Affordability Index, this term refers to costs associated with auto ownership, auto use, and transit use.
Vouchers (Tenant-based and Project-based): HUD provides housing vouchers to qualifying low-income households. These are typically distributed by local housing authorities. Vouchers can be “tenant-based”, meaning the household can use the vouchers to help pay for market-rate housing in the location of their choice. They pay the difference between the fair market rent and 30 percent of the tenant’s income. Or the vouchers can be “project-based”, meaning they are assigned to a specific building.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Part 1: Introduction
1.1 BACKGROUND
In the fall of 2021, the City of Medina applied for grant funding allocated by the Washington State Department of Commerce and funded through E2SHB 1923. The grant funding is being used for the development of a Housing Action Plan (HAP) that will allow the City to recognize the housing needs of its current and future populations, as well as outline goals, policies, and strategies to meet those needs.
The City of Medina does not build or manage housing. However, the City can affect how much and what types of housing are produced in Medina through comprehensive plan policies, development codes, incentives, programs, and capital projects. The HAP will identify strategies to ensure the City’s influence on housing production is in line with its overall housing goals.
The first step in the HAP development process is the creation of a housing needs assessment (HNA). Fundamentally, a HNA is a study to identify the current and future housing needs of all economic segments of the community. It attempts to answer the following types of questions:
• Who lives and works here and what are their socioeconomic characteristics?
• What types of housing are available?
• Are there any groups of people who are not able to find housing that is safe, affordable, and meets their household needs?
• How much housing, and what types of housing, are needed to meet current and future housing needs?
• Is there sufficient buildable land capacity to accommodate growth and diversity of housing choice?
This document is divided into three main parts:
• Community Overview: This part details who lives in the city and the characteristics that shape their current and future needs related to housing.
• Housing Conditions: This part describes the current housing inventory of the city with a focus on characteristics such as size, location, cost, and tenure.
• Gap Analysis: This part evaluates the alignment between the two previous parts and how certain populations are not finding their needs met through the current housing market.
The data in this document will be combined and supplemented with information gathered through engagement with stakeholders and residents to form the HAP. The analysis conducted in this Housing Needs Assessment relies on available sociodemographic and housing data from multiple sources. This includes as much publicly available data as possible. Moreover, much of the data is not recent enough to reflect any trends that may have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely intensified any housing affordability issues.
The HNA is a baseline of data that explains the current conditions of housing in Medina and the greater region. The numbers and findings in this report are based on multiple data sources as explained in the methodology section. This report is a tool for decision-makers, residents, housing market professionals, and anyone else who may find it useful as a guide. The report highlights shortcomings or gaps regarding the current housing supply and demands of the residents now and in the future.
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The sources of data we used for this analysis include the following:
• Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). The PSRC provides overall regional housing targets through the VISION 2040 regional growth strategies, recently updated with the VISION 2050 plan, which informs the development of Countywide Planning Policies. Additionally, the PSRC coordinates housing and employment projections for the region.
• Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The OFM is the state-level agency in charge of developing official population and housing counts for statutory and programmatic purposes, and compiles data from individual jurisdictions to further this goal. Publicly available counts for population and housing are available on their website. Additionally, small-area and more detailed custom data are also available to provide more detail on housing and population growth.
• King County Urban Growth Capacity Report. Coordinated on a periodic basis, the County coordinates a review and evaluation of development and land supply to determine whether its cities are meeting growth and density targets and if cities have enough land to meet future growth needs. As part of this work, cities survey their available lands for development, and compare this to growth targets established through the Countywide Planning Policies. This report relies on both the estimates of land capacity, as well as the assessment of future growth targets.
• US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES). The US Census compiles information about the home and work locations of employees and provides information through a web-based interface on the characteristics of jobs and workers, such as economic sector, general length of commute, and wages. Additionally, LODES can also be used to indicate where people in a given location or jurisdiction work, and where workers in a community live, which can provide an understanding of commuting patterns. This data is partly “synthetic”, meaning that it is based on estimates from the original data to preserve anonymity while being representative of major characteristics or trends. OnTheMap is the web-based mapping and report application that provides an easy-to-use interface for viewing the LODES data; it was used to pull the data shown in this report.
• American Community Survey (ACS). The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey program coordinated by the US Census Bureau to provide detailed information about the population. Developed as an alternative to the Decennial Census long form, the ACS relies on a sample of households to collect more detailed data on topics such as education, transportation, Internet access, employment, and housing. The results from the ACS are reported on a yearly basis for larger cities, and on a 5-year average basis for all communities. This report relies on this information for some demographics data, and the ACS is also used as part of the CHAS dataset (below). At the time of writing, the most recent dataset available was 2019-2015.
• Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS). The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) relies on custom tabulations from the ACS to develop the more detailed CHAS dataset. This information is intended to demonstrate the extent of housing needs and issues across communities, with a focus on low-income households. This information, available at a city level, provides detailed information about characteristics of the local housing stock, including the affordability of both rental and owner-occupied housing. The CHAS dataset also provides some household information, which can be cross-tabulated with housing information to link household characteristics with needs. Note that the most recent dataset, released in September 2021, relies on the 2014–2018 ACS dataset.
• National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD). The NHPD is an address-level inventory of federally assisted rental housing in the US. The data comes from HUD and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). NHPD was created in 2011 in an effort to provide communities with the information they need to effectively preserve their stock of public and affordable housing.
• Zillow. The online real estate listings company Zillow provides some data on the real estate market free of charge. These datasets include information on rents, home values, inventory, and sales at the city, metro, and zip code levels. To address gaps in data, some of this information relies on information from the ACS to weight key values.
1.2 METHODOLOGY
To the greatest extent possible, the latest data sources are used for this report. As datapoints become available at varied times, there may be differences in some stated numbers. While this may seem inconsistent, it is best practice to use the most up to date and available sources, leading to these differences. For example, housing unit totals from 2019 (ACS) and 2021 (OFM) are both in this report.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Part 2: Community Overview
2.1 LOCAL HISTORY AND SETTING
Medina occupies a large peninsula projecting into the central portion of Lake Washington on the lake’s east side and contains approximately five miles of waterfront property. Seattle lies directly across the lake to the west and can be accessed via the SR 520 bridge. Medina is bordered on the northeast by the Town of Hunts Point, the east by the City of Clyde Hill, and on the southeast by the City of Bellevue.
Medina was initially settled by the Duwamish and Stillaguamish peoples until the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855, forcing all Native Americans to move to reservations to retain rights to natural resources and hunting lands. The Medina area was vacant when the first white settlers arrived in the 1870s. By the late 1880’s, a handful of wealthy landowners purchased properties adjacent to Lake Washington and began developing residences and infrastructure. Residents were enabled to purchase and develop land as a result of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed settlers to purchase up to 160 acres of western land and gain ownership after the land was improved for living and farming.
Photo 1: Medina, WA; King5 News.
Medina was platted in 1914 and officially incorporated over 39 years later, on August 19, 1955. Access to Seattle had improved by 1941 with the opening of a bridge crossing from the eastside, through Mercer Island, and ending in Seattle. Regional transportation and access improvements encouraged people to purchase property on the eastside of Lake Washington. The population between 1921 and 1955 boomed as the city began to develop services such as schools, churches, and roadways. Since then, the city’s population has leveled out over time with no additional annexations possible and a majority of parcels having existing development.
Medina is primarily single-family residential development, with some limited non-residential development exists, such as the Wells Medina Nursery, gas station, Medina grocery store, the post office, Medina Elementary School, St. Thomas Church, St. Thomas School, Bellevue Christian School, and City Hall.
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City of Medina | MAY 2022
2.2 POPULATIONS
According to the Office of Financial Management (OFM), Medina’s population of 3,245 in 2019 had fallen to 2,920 in 2021.1 As shown in Exhibit 1, the population since 2000 has hovered around 3,000 people. The community is unique; there is limited land available to accommodate population growth. Medina is one of the smallest cities in King County, spanning approximately 1.44 square miles. Medina’s lands primarily consist of existing developed lands and uses and as such, there is limited developable lands available for growth. Between 2000 and 2021, the population had a growth rate of -3% indicating that the current city limits, land uses, and historical development pattern substantially limit population growth.
1 OFM has estimates of population to 2021, but 2019 is the year primarily used in this assessment due to 2019 being the most recently released American Community Survey (ACS) information at the time of writing.
Source: OFM, 2021.
Exhibit 1: Population Change (Medina)
Pop
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
2,500
3,000
3,500
Medina
202120202018201620142012201020082006200420022000
3,
01
1
3,
01
0
2,
95
5
2,
94
5
2,
95
5
2,
96
9
2,
99
0
3,
05
5
3,
1
6
5
3,
2
4
5
2,
91
5
2,
92
0
95
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City of Medina | MAY 2022 5
City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
According to the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS), the median age in Medina is around 47 years which is higher than King County’s 37 years. Medina’s population skews older, with over 40% of Medina’s population being over the age of 50 while the County has approximately 33% of its population over 50. Additionally, Medina has a substantially larger youth population (under 20) at 28.5%, which his 6% more than the County.
Medina has a sharp decrease in the 29 to 40 age group. King County residents between ages 29 to 40 make up approximately 46% of the population. Medina is proportionally smaller with adult ages between 29 to 40 making up only 29.5% of the population.
Medina has proportionally a lower workforce population (20 to 64) than the County overall by a margin of 10%.
Exhibit 2: Population by Age Range (Medina & King County)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
City of Medina | MAY 2022
Exhibit 3: Race and Ethnicity of Population (Medina & King County)
Ethnicity, Race, and Language Spoken at Home
Similarly to King County overall, Medina’s population is two-thirds white. Medina has a similar breakdown of demographics to King County with a couple of key differences. King County overall has a lower percentage of Asian residents (18%) compared to Medina’s Asian population (24%). The County has a greater percentage of Hispanics (10%) and Black or African-Americans (6%), while Medina’s population is 4% Hispanic and 1% Black or African-American.
Approximately three fourths (74%) of residents only speak English at home, which is comparable to King County (72%), and 26% speak another language other than English at home. Medina has a higher frequency of Asian and Pacific Island language speakers (63%) compared to King County (43%).
There are some households with limited English proficiency meaning they may require access to language assistance services. All of Medina’s households with limited English proficiency speaking Asian or Pacific Island based languages make up about 3% of households in the city.
Of residents that speak a language other than English at home, Medina has a significantly lower frequency of Spanish speakers (11%) than King County (24%).2
2 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
0
20
40
60
80
100
King CountyMedina
66%60%
10%4%
6%1%
24%1 8%
1%5%5%Two or more races, not Hispanic or Latino
Some other race, not Hispanic or Latino
Asian alone, not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian and Alaska Native alone,
not Hispanic or Latino
Black or African American alone,
not Hispanic or Latino
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Two or more races, not Hispanic or Latino
Some other race, not Hispanic or Latino
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
alone, not Hispanic or Latino
Asian alone, not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian and Alaska Native alone,
not Hispanic or Latino
Black or African-American alone, not
Hispanic or Latino
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
0
20
40
60
80
100
King CountyMedina
66%60%
10%4%
6%1%
24 8%
1%5%5%
%
97
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City of Medina | MAY 2022 7
City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
TYPE
MEDINA KING COUNTY
COUNT PERCENTAGE COUNT PERCENTAGE
Owner-occupied 1,032 86%502,293 57%
Renter-occupied 163 14%379,735 43%
Total 1,195 882,028
2.3 HOUSEHOLDS
A household is a single person or a group of people, related or unrelated, who live in a single dwelling unit. Understanding the make-up of households across age, race, and sizes helps us to better understand how to provide housing options for the diverse range of household types.
Exhibit 4: Households by Housing Tenure (Medina & King County)
Household Tenure and Size
In 2019, there were 1,273 housing units in Medina, 94% of which are occupied. This indicates a 6% vacancy rate for all housing units. An occupied housing unit and household have the same meaning in the census. In Medina, 86% of households are owner households, compared to 57% in King County. This means only 14% of households are renter households.
As of 2019, the average household has 2.73 residents. Medina’s typical household sizes have not significantly changed since 2000, which had an average of 2.71 residents. Owner-occupied households have historically had a higher number of residents per unit than renter-occupied units. As of 2019, owner-occupied households had an average of 2.81 persons and renter-occupied households had an average of 2.25 persons. Medina has a significant number of larger households, with 33% having four or more members. These larger households are primarily owner households, as 62% of renter households have only one or two people.3
3 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Exhibit 5: Occupied Housing Units (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
78
1,195
Occupied Units
Vacant Units
98
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City of Medina | MAY 2022
Exhibit 6: Household Size by Tenure (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Exhibit 7: Median Household Income by Household Type (Medina & King County)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
King County
Medina
Non-familyFamilyAll households
$212,337
$250,000+
$53,571
$94,974
$118,292
$61,618
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Renter-Occupied
Owner-Occupied
6-person5-person4-person3-person2-person1-person
Ho
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
s
19% of
Total
(228)
32% of
Total
(385)
16% of
Total
(188)
24% of
Total
(282)
8% of
Total
(90)2% of
Total
(19)
30%
70%
8%
92%14%
10%
86%
90%
100%42%58%
99
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Household Income
Realizing the relationship and distribution of household income and housing prices is important to Medina’s efforts to fully understand its housing needs. Medina’s median household income is significantly greater than the income of a King County household. Medina households have a median income of $212,377 which is over twice the $94,974 that the King County median household makes. The 2019 ACS reports that Medina median family4 household income is greater $250,000. Typically, this number would be a better estimate, but the 2019 ACS only breaks down income levels up to $250,000. Regardless, the actual median family income is still likely two times or more greater than the King County median family income ($118,292).
Non-family households in the City have a more comparable median income to King County differing by only $8,000. Medina non-family households make 9% less than non-family households in King County.
Another way to evaluate household income is to analyze the income distribution and its relationship to housing affordability through Area Median Family Income (AMI). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines AMI by the following income groups:
• Extremely Low-income: <30% AMI
• Very Low-income: 30-50 % AMI
• Low-income: 50-80% AMI
• Moderate Income: 80-100 % AMI
• Above Median Income: >100% AMI
Exhibit 8: Percentage of Households by Income Level and Tenure (Medina) shows the distribution of household incomes for all Medina households and then for renters and owners. Seventeen percent (17%) of Medina households are considered low-income, earning 80% AMI or less. Over four-fifths of owner households and three-fifths of renter households generate an income greater than the AMI. Owner households have an even distribution of AMI ranges with approximately 4-5% in all other categories. Renters do not have as even of an AMI distribution with the remaining 40% of rented households falling in the very low or extremely low-income group. One third of Medina renters are in the extremely low-income group.
4 In the census, a “family” is a household where two or more people are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. Therefore, family incomes are typically higher than non-family and total household incomes due to the higher earnings from potential multi-income households.
Exhibit 8: Percentage of Households by Income Level and Tenure (Medina)
Source: HUD CHAS (based on 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates).
Above 100% AMI
80 - 100% AMI
50 - 80% AMI
30 - 50% AMI
30% AMI or lessOwner
Renter
All Households 8%
33%
5%5%
5%79%
59%
82%
4%4%
7%
4%4%
100
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
City of Medina | MAY 2022
What is cost-burdened?
Cost-burdened is a metric that was developed as an amendment to the federal 1968 Fair Housing Act by Senator Edward Brooke. Senator Brooke initially drafted the proposed amendment as a response to country-wide rent increases and complaints about services in public housing complexes by capping public housing rent at 25% of a resident’s income.1 The amendment, thereafter named the Brooke Amendment, passed in 1969 and was amended again in 1981 increasing the affordability cap to 30%.
Cost-burdened households are defined as households that spend more than 30% and less than 50% of their income on housing, and severely cost-burdened households spend more than 50% of their income on housing. Households need remaining income to afford other essentials such as food, utilities, transportation, childcare, and clothing.
In recent years, the metric has been up for debate among economists, planners, and affordable housing advocates because 30% is arguably an arbitrary number that may not be adequately representing actual cost-burdens experienced in different household types. Incomes and cost of living factors vary greatly throughout the United States based on location and the robustness of the local and natural economies.
Or a household that spends greater than 30% on housing may live somewhere with better access to amenities or somewhere where they can take
1 HUD, “Rental Burdens: Rethinking Affordability Measures,” 2014.
public transportation to work, thereby reducing their transportation costs, which is normally a household’s highest expense following housing. Additionally, cost-burden has the same metric for family and individual households, and owner and renter households. The economic burdens that a family may experience are vastly different than what an individual would experience, since families have additional members that require more essentials than an individual would have.
While a new metric for housing affordability is likely needed, the 30% approach still has some important uses cases. The severely cost-burdened measurement is still used by HUD in its Worst Case Housing Needs report to Congress of very low-income renting households that do not receive government housing assistance. The 30% cutoff for affordability also matches what assisted households are required to pay in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program.
The history and flaws of the cost-burden metric are important to understanding the greater context of the metric purpose and how it should be critically considered in the overall Housing Needs Assessment. However, it is still widely agreed upon within the policy and advocacy community that households paying more than half of their income on housing is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
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Exhibit 9: Households by Income Level and Cost-Burden Status (Medina)
Source: HUD CHAS (based on 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates).
Cost-Burdened Households
There are two primary income groups in Medina, those who earn above the median income and those who are extremely low-income. High rent and property ownership costs lead to a lack of affordable housing in Medina for families or individuals that fall under the extremely low-income groups. About 30% of households are cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened.
There are disparities in who is experiencing cost-burden between owners and renters. Of the 30% of households that are cost-burdened, 79% are owners compared to the 21% that are renters, but this is due to there being significantly more renters in the city compared to owners. When owner and renter households are separated, 52% of renters are cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened compared to 24% of owners. The majority of cost-burdened renter households are severely cost-burdened. Of cost-burdened owner households, half are cost-burdened, and half are severely cost-burdened.
There are some disparities in which racial groups are cost-burdened in Medina. Overall, the city’s Hispanic households are more cost-burdened than white or Asian families. Nearly three-fourths of white and Asian households are not cost-burdened compared to 40% of Hispanic families. Tenure plays a role in affordability for Hispanic families as 100% of Hispanic renters are cost-burdened compared to 25% of owners that are severely cost-burdened.
Some of Medina’s white population is cost-burdened, and it appears to be related to tenure status. Approximately 24% of white homeowners are cost-burdened to some degree, and 13% are severely cost-burdened. Comparatively, 59% of white renters are cost-burdened with 47% being severely cost-burdened. Within the Asian population, the same percentage of owner households are cost-burdened as renter households (40%). However, half of the cost-burdened owner households are severely cost-burdened compared with none of the cost-burdened renter households.
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
Not Cost-Burdened
Severely Cost-Burdened
Cost-Burdened
Ho
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
s
Total: 100
30%
8%
14%
Total: 55 Total: 50 Total: 45
Total: 945
(Above 100%
AMI)(80 - 100%
AMI)
(50 - 80%
AMI)
(30 - 50%
AMI)
(30% AMI
or less)
Extremely
Low-Income
Very
Low-Income Low-Income Moderate
Income
Above Median
Income
102
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
City of Medina | MAY 2022
Exhibit 11: Owners: Proportional Cost-Burden by Race and Tenure (Medina)
Exhibit 12: Renters: Proportional Cost-Burden by Race and Tenure (Medina)
Source: HUD CHAS (based on 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates).
Source: HUD CHAS (based on 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates).
Not Cost-Burdened
Severely Cost-Burdened
Cost-Burdened
Other (inc. NAPI and multiple races)
Hispanic or Latino, any race
Asian alone, not Hispanic
Black or African-American,
not Hispanic
White alone, not Hispanic
Total Cost-Burdened: 0%
12%47%41%
60%
100%
100%
40%
Not Calculated
Not Cost-Burdened
Severely Cost-Burdened
Cost-Burdened
Total Cost-Burdened: 0%
11%74%2%
71%
62%
67%
10%
13%
10%9%
27%
38%
6%
Other (inc. NAPI and multiple races)
Hispanic or Latino, any race
Asian alone, not Hispanic
Black or African-American,
not Hispanic
White alone, not Hispanic
Exhibit 10: Proportional Cost-Burdened Households by Tenure (Medina)
Source: HUD CHAS (based on 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates).
Not Cost-Burdened
Cost-Burdened
Severely Cost-Burdened
Owner
Renter
All Households 14%13%73%
48%
76%12%
22%30%
12%
103
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Displacement Risk
Displacement occurs when changing neighborhood conditions force residents to move and can create further financial pressures that impact job growth and housing distribution. Forecasting areas facing higher displacement risks can help cities be more aware of socioeconomic strains residents are coping with and prepare comprehensive policies that support racially and economically diverse communities.
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) issued a 2019 Displacement Risk Report5 identifying areas where residents and business are at the greatest risk of displacement. The PSRC uses the following five generalized categories to calculate a city’s score determining their respective risk level:
1. Socio-Demographics: Examines the race, ethnicity, linguistics, education, housing tenure and costs, and household income.
2. Transportation Qualities: Assesses access to jobs by car and transit and proximity to existing and/or future transit.
3. Neighborhood Characteristics: Analyzes the proximity of residents to services, retail, parks, schools, and high-income areas.
4. Housing: Reviews development capacity and median rental prices.
5. Civic Engagement: Measured by voter turnout.
Each category has multiple indicators that are standardized and weighted to determine an ultimate score. Each city’s score is compiled into an overall index and risk level is determined by how the city fits in to the overall PSRC’s data.
Scoring is broken down into three categories: high risk, moderate risk, and low risk. Exhibit 13: PSRC Displacement Risk (Medina) shows the PSRC’s Displacement Risk Map describing Medina’s risk as low risk, meaning that Medina scored lower than more than half of other cities in Pierce, King, and Snohomish County.
5 PSRC, “Displacement Risk Mapping,” 2019.
Exhibit 13: PSRC Displacement Risk (Medina)
Source: PSRC, “Displacement Risk Mapping,” 2019.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
City of Medina | MAY 2022
DISABILITY
STATUS
EXTREMELY
LOW-INCOME
VERY LOW-
INCOME LOW-INCOME
MODERATE
INCOME OR
ABOVE
TOTAL
HOUSEHOLDS
WITH 1
OR MORE
HOUSING
PROBLEM(<30% AMI)(30-50% AMI)(50-80% AMI)(>80% AMI)
Hearing
or Vision
Impairment
0 4 4 4 12
Ambulatory
Limitation 0 0 0 0 0
Cognitive
Limitation 0 0 0 0 0
Self-Care or
Independent
Living Limitation
0 10 0 0 10
None of the
Above 65 35 15 185 300
Total 65 49 19 189 322
Residents with Special Housing Needs
While it is vital to understand which households are struggling with housing costs across all economic segments of the community, it is also important to analyze how different household types are affected because of their distinct characteristics. Residents who are disabled may have special housing needs or require supportive services. They may be on a limited budget and have higher medical costs than the average household.
Exhibit 15: Households by Disability Status shows Medina households with one or more housing problems and a disability status by income level. Housing problems are defined as the following: incomplete kitchen facilities, incomplete plumbing facilities, more than 1 person per room, or cost-burdened. About 7% of households with a housing problem also have a disability status. It is important to be aware of these populations as the City is planning how to address the housing needs of the city as a whole.
Exhibit 14: Households by Disability Status and Income Level (Medina)
Source: HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates).
Homelessness
As of 2020, there has been a 5% increase in people experiencing homelessness in King County since 2019.6 HUD estimates the number of homeless individuals and counts people in shelters, soup kitchens, and identified outdoor locations by working with local service provides to record an accurate count of homeless individuals, but it is likely that the number is underreported since service providers range in location, availability, and staffing. According to the 2020 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, approximately 11,750 individuals or people in families are experiencing homelessness in the County. Only about half are in shelters, and 29% are chronically homeless. A summary of the count results is shown in Exhibit 15: Point in Time Count 2020 (King County).
6 King County Regional Homelessness Authority, “Seattle/King County Point-in-Time Count of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness,” 2020.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Exhibit 15: Point in Time Count 2020 (King County)
Source: HUD, 2020.
How will the HNA and HAP address homelessness?
According to a report published by the Department of Commerce in 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness has been increasing in Washington since 2013 following 8 years of steady improvement. Through an examination of the potential drivers of the upward trend, it was found that the increase is overwhelmingly caused by growing rents that have driven people at the margins into homelessness. It also looks at other perceived causes of homelessness such as family instability, overall alcohol and drug dependence, and lower educational attainment, all of which have been declining since 2013.
One factor that has intensified the problems caused by rent increases is very low vacancy rates. With low vacancy rates, people are priced out of one place and find it difficult to find another even when they have sufficient income or rental assistance to pay market rents. Vacancy rates below 3% are generally considered too low and can lead to housing price inflation.
In addressing the issue of homelessness, there has to be consideration given both to how to meet the needs of the people already experiencing homelessness and to how to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. As for the former, addressing the needs of the homeless population requires a multi-faceted systemic approach that includes housing, but also requires human services, health services, job trainings, and much more. Many of these factors are beyond the scope of what is covered in this Housing Needs Assessment and what can be confronted through a housing action plan. However, regarding the latter, considering the factors that may push people into homelessness and attempting to negate those is within the scope of the HNA and HAP. This proactive approach is still essential to addressing the issue at large.
The intent of transitional housing is generally to house individuals or families for a limited time after a crisis, such as homelessness, job loss, or domestic violence, and stays can range from two weeks to two years. Transitional housing is a strategy in addressing the homeless crisis in longevity by setting people up for success by creating temporary housing security. Medina has no transitional housing. Medina also has no subsidized or income-restricted housing developments. Subsidized housing is important since it can potentially provide more permanent housing for homeless individuals or families that have little or no income. However, as a member city of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), it does contribute funding to the Housing Trust Fund. The fund invests local funding from ARCH member cities to create and preserve affordable homes for low- and moderate-income incomes and individuals in East King County. Between 1993 and 2012, a total of 4 moderate- and low-income units had been created through direct assistance from Medina.
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Unsheltered
Sheltered
People in Families Individuals
Chronically Homeless
Pop
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
Total: 8,008
Total: 2,847
Total: 3,743
Total: 508
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
City of Medina | MAY 2022
2.4 WORKFORCE PROFILE
Citywide Employment
According to PSRC, the largest industry sectors available for employment in Medina are services (69%) followed by Education (19%) with a total of 463 jobs as of 2020. Services is also the major industry sector in King County at 51% followed by Retail (11%). The major industry sectors are compared proportionally in Exhibit 16: Employment by Industry (Medina & King County).
Exhibit 18: Jobs Held by Residents by NAICS Industry Sector (Medina) is a table that displays within which industry sectors residents of Medina work compared with residents of the county. Most residents of Medina work in Information (17%) which is the third most worked in industry for the county (9%). Health Care and Social Assistance is largest employment sector for county residents at 13%. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services is the second most worked in industry for both the city (13%) and county (10%).
The City has a far greater number of housing units compared to jobs, providing over twice as many housing units as jobs. King County has a jobs-to-housing ratio of about 1.48 (Exhibit 17: Jobs-to-housing Ratio (Medina & King County)). A jobs-to-housing ratio in the range of 0.75 to 1.5 is considered ideal for reducing vehicle miles traveled, meaning it is more likely people can live near where they work. Commuting is discussed further in the next section. The primary land use in Medina is single-family residential, and there are limited number of properties zoned and operating as commercial uses. Exhibit 19: Job Density (Medina) describes the concentration and density of jobs, demonstrating the City’s limited employment sector. Medina has no undeveloped parcels and does not anticipate job growth within the city limits.
Exhibit 16: Employment by Industry (Medina & King County)
Source: PSRC, 2020.
MEDINA KING COUNTY
Jobs 463 1,430,940
Housing Units 1,131 969,234
Jobs-to-Housing Ratio 0.41 1.48
Exhibit 17: Jobs-to-housing Ratio (Medina & King County)
Source: PSRC, 2020; OFM, 2020.
Education
Government: Public-sector employment, excluding education
Wholesale, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
Services
Retail
Manufacturing
Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
Construction and Resources
King County
Medina 64%5%
6%6%19%
5%
5%
7%11%51%8%7%6%
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
JOBS HELD BY RESIDENTS
MEDINA KING COUNTY
COUNT PERCENTAGE COUNT PERCENTAGE
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 3 0%4,089 0%
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction 0 0%342 0%
Utilities 1 0%3,923 0%
Construction 39 4%50,383 5%
Manufacturing 62 7%80,341 8%
Wholesale Trade 37 4%44,981 4%
Retail Trade 76 8%89,992 8%
Transportation and Warehousing 27 3%42,669 4%
Information 160 17%98,152 9%
Finance and Insurance 53 6%35,431 3%
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 20 2%22,636 2%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 120 13%105,916 10%
Management of Companies and Enterprises 20 2%26,028 2%
Administration & Support, Waste Management and
Remediation 51 5%61,451 6%
Educational Services 46 5%83,551 8%
Health Care and Social Assistance 75 8%133,494 13%
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 19 2%24,003 2%
Accommodation and Food Services 72 8%90,940 9%
Other Services (excluding Public Administration)36 4%38,659 4%
Public Administration 14 2%29,301 3%
Total 931 1,066,282
Exhibit 18: Jobs Held by Residents by NAICS Industry Sector (Medina)
Source: OnTheMap, 2019.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
City of Medina | MAY 2022
Exhibit 19: Job Density (Medina)
Source: OnTheMap, 2019.
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Commuting
A factor to consider related to employment is the distance someone travels to and from work. Because a person’s job is often the place they travel to the most, the distance between home and their place of employment matters as it relates to what they spend on transportation costs. After housing costs, transportation costs are generally a household’s second largest expense. A picture of affordability is not complete without considering transportation.
Census OnTheMap data reveals only about 16 residents both live and work in Medina. Over 90% of Medina’s workforce and residents are traveling between 1 and 24 miles to their jobs. Exhibit 20: Inflow/Outflow Counts of all Jobs (Medina) shows the inflow and outflow of people commuting to work or who is entering and leaving the city for work. A vast majority of the workforce (96% or 382 people) lives outside the city’s limits with one in ten traveling 24 miles or less to Medina. Medina’s workforce primarily lives in Seattle (15%), Bellevue (15%), or Kirkland (7%).
Medina residents commute to Seattle (32%), Bellevue (18%), or Redmond (12%) for employment as shown in Exhibit 21: Employment Locations of Residents (Medina). Similarly to people who commute to Medina for employment, nine in ten residents travel less than 24 miles to work.
It should be noted that this data is from 2019 and therefore from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a large effect on traditional commuting patterns. There was a period when most non-essential workers were working from home, thereby likely not incurring the transportation costs to which they had been accustomed. While many places of employment have shifted back to requiring employees to come back to the office full-time or allowing more of a hybrid approach, it is still too soon to exactly the determine the lasting impacts the pandemic will have on the daily commute. Regardless, remote work in either a full-time or hybrid format seems like it will remain an option long-term for many employees. While transportation costs associated with a commute may not hold the same power as a factor when someone is choosing where they are going to live as it once did, it is still important to note when thinking about overall location affordability. Location affordability and the metrics that are considered are discussed later in this report.
Source: OnTheMap, 2019.
Exhibit 20: Inflow/Outflow Counts of all Jobs (Medina)
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City of Medina | MAY 2022
Exhibit 21: Employment Locations of Residents (Medina)
Source: OnTheMap, 2019.
Employment Projections
Long term employment projections are prepared by the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) based on estimates of average annual job openings and population growth. ESD breaks down anticipated employment projections by industry for counties or groups of counties. The 2021 ESD Projections Report contains estimates for a 5 and 10-year window in King County. The industries anticipating the largest growth between 2019 and 2029 are information, retail, and business/professional services with an average growth rate of 4.2%, 2.8%, and 1.2% respectively.
WHERE WORKERS WHO LIVE IN MEDINA ARE EMPLOYED MEDINA
COUNT PERCENTAGE
Seattle, WA 300 32%
Bellevue, WA 171 18%
Redmond, WA 109 12%
Kirkland, WA 43 5%
Everett, WA 31 3%
Renton, WA 26 3%
Medina, WA 16 2%
Issaquah, WA 15 2%
Kent, WA 14 2%
Tukwila, WA 14 2%
All Other Locations 192 21%
Total 931
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
KEY TAKEAWAYS: COMMUNITY OVERVIEW
Populations
• The overall population is decreasing in the City, with the average growth rate between 2000-2021 at -3%. Medina is skewed towards having an older population with 46.8 years as the average resident age and is higher than King County’s average of 37 years.
• The 20-62 age group makes up just under one third of the City’s population and has a lower proportion of employment aged individuals than King County.
• Medina is predominately a white (64%) community with a higher ratio of Asian and Pacific Islanders (24%) and lower ratio of Hispanics (4%) and African-Americans (1%) compared to the overall County.
• Families primarily speak English at home (74%). Of the 26% that do not speak primarily speak English at home, two thirds speak an Asian and Pacific islander language and one fourth speak an Indo-European language.
Households
• Medina is primarily a home-owner community with 86% of dwelling units being owner-occupied and 14% being renter-occupied. There is a low vacancy rate (6%) indicating a high demand for housing.
• The average household size is 2.73 residents and has not significantly increased since 2000. Owner-occupied homes have a higher average family household size (2.81 persons) than renters (2.25 persons).
• Medina households have a median income of $212,377 which is double what the median County household earns. Families had a median income beyond the highest recorded income brackets ($250,000) for the 2019 ACS. Nonfamily households’ average income was $54,000.
• Seventeen percent (17%) of Medina households are considered low-income, earning 80% AMI or less.
• Renters experience the most financial strain, with 22% of renters being cost-burdened and 30% severely cost-burdened.
• PSRC determined the city as a whole falls under the low displacement risk category.
Workforce Profile
• Medina will have limited employment growth since all Medina properties are developed and primarily zoned exclusively for residential uses.
• The jobs-to-housing ratio is 0.41, and indicates there is over twice as many housing units than jobs.
• Nine out of ten residents commute less than 24 miles to work, and 62% work in Seattle, Bellevue, or Redmond.
• Ninety-six (96%) of Medina’s workforce lives outside the City and are most likely living in Seattle, Bellevue, or Kirkland. The top two industry sectors for employment in Medina are Services (64%) and Education (19%).
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Housing Units by Type and Size
As of 2021, there are 1,132 housing units in Medina, representing a 2.8% decreased in supply since 2000. Exhibit 23: Housing Inventory by Type (Medina) describes the breakdown of housing units by type; 99% of the housing units are single-family detached homes and the remaining 1% are comprised of either duplexes or mobile homes. There are no single-family attached or multifamily developments in the city.
While over half of all households contain only one or two people, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units comprise just 8% of the city’s housing stock. This means 92% of housing units in Medina have three or more bedrooms, with 20% having 5 or more. There is an oversupply of larger units compared to the distribution of household sizes.7
7 Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Part 3: Housing Conditions
Exhibit 22: Housing Units, 2000 to 2021 (Medina)
Source: OFM, 2021.
Exhibit 23: Housing Inventory by Type (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
3.1 HOUSING INVENTORY
0.5%0.5%
99%
900
1,200
1,500
Medina
202120202018201620142012201020082006200420022000
1,
1
6
5
1,
1
6
7
1,
1
6
9
1,
1
6
6
1,
1
6
2
1,
1
6
2
1,
1
7
1
1,
1
8
4
1,
2
0
9
1,
2
3
4
1,
1
3
1
1,
1
3
2
Ho
u
s
i
n
g
U
n
i
t
s
Single-family
Duplexes
Mobile Homes
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BUILT DATE PERCENTAGE
Built 2010 to 2019 4%
Built 2000 to 2009 16%
Built 1990 to 1999 12%
Built 1980 to 1989 8%
Built 1970 to 1979 11%
Built 1960 to 1969 16%
Built 1950 to 1959 22%
Built 1940 to 1949 4%
Built 1939 or earlier 7%
Housing Age and Production
Exhibit 24: Age of Housing Stock (Medina) describes the age of housing units in Medina by when the structures were built. A third of the current housing stock was constructed before 1959, with 22% being built between 1950 and 1959, representing the post World War II housing boom. As these homes continue to age, there will be a greater need to repair, maintain, and rehabilitate older structures. Another third of the housing stock was developed between 1960 and 1989, with the largest growth happening between 1960 to 1969. The last third was constructed between 1990 and present-day, with 16% constructed in the decade between 2000 and 2009.
The PSRC records permit data on housing units and record net gains and losses by unit type, as shown in Exhibit 24: Age of Housing Stock (Medina). Between 2010 and 2019, the City lost an average of four housing units and gained an average of four new units annually. As mentioned previously, the total number of housing units in Medina has actually decreased by nearly 3% since 2000, indicating that new construction is primarily occurring through redevelopment of existing properties. A major increase in permits occurred between 2012 and 2013 with 34 permits being issued, 100% of which went toward the construction of single-family units. No multifamily or mobile home units were permitted between 2010 and 2019.
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Exhibit 24: Age of Housing Stock (Medina)
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Exhibit 25: Permitted Units, 2010 - 2019 (Medina)
Source: PSRC, 2019.
Exhibit 26: Percent Change in Home Values and HUD AMI Since 2010 (Medina)
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, 2021; HUD, 2021.
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Single-family
2019201820172016201520142013201220112010
-30
0
30
60
90
120
150
Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD AMI
Bottom Tier Homes in Medina
All Homes in Medina
202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010
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3.2 HOME OWNERSHIP
Home ownership is an important topic to consider since it is the main way most American families accumulate generational wealth. There are also typically more home ownership opportunities compared with rental opportunities in advantaged neighborhoods, which provide access to higher performing school districts, amenities, and social capital that can lead to better opportunities. Approximately 81% of housing units in Medina are owner-occupied. Of households that are owner-occupied, approximately 73% are white, and 24% are Asian.
Exhibit 27: Age of Owners (Medina) shows the home ownership rate by age group. The represented age is that of the householder.8 The 65 to 74 and the 85 years and over age groups have the highest rates of ownership, at 100% each. Generally, as age increases so does the home ownership rate, and eight of ten households that are 45 or older are owner households. Households that are 35 years old and younger have the lowest ownership rate at just over half of households in that age group.
Low ownership rates are typical for this range and are due to lack of wealth accumulation from minimal years in the work force, high amounts of student loan debt, and the high cost of ownership.
Exhibit 26: Percent Change in Home Values and HUD AMI Since 2010 (Medina) shows the percent change in median home value and bottom tier home value from 2010 to 2021 in comparison to the percent change in HUD AMI. The data reflects the decrease in home value following the Great Recession at the end of the 2000s. However, median home values have been increasing since 2013. In 2021, the median home value in Medina was $3,548,000 which is over twice the median home value of $1,529,000 in 2010. This is reflective of the regional population boom and increasing housing shortage. Bottom tier homes in Medina, which are described by Zillow as those in the 5th to 35th percentile of all units by value, followed a similar trend and grew 147% since 2010 which is a higher percentage the median home value increase. In 2021, the average bottom tier home cost $2,615,000.
8 The householder refers to the person (or one of the people) in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented.
Exhibit 27: Age of Owners (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
AGE OF
HOMEOWNERS
PERCENTAGE OF
HOUSEHOLDS IN
AGE GROUP
Under 35 years 54%
35 to 44 years 69%
45 to 54 years 86%
55 to 64 years 94%
65 to 74 years 100%
75 to 84 years 81%
85 years & up 100%
Over the same period, Seattle-Bellevue area median income has also grown but not at the same rate as housing values. Between 2010 and 2021, the Seattle-Bellevue AMI was fairly stagnant the first half of the decade but grew to $115,700 by 2021, which is a 35% increase from 2010. In 2019, the household median income in Medina was $212,3379, which is over double the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD AMI of the same year. The key takeaway here is that median housing costs have far outpaced regional wage growth, meaning that ownership affordability is getting further and further out of reach.
9 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
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Home Ownership Affordability
Exhibit 28: Cost of Home Ownership (Medina) describes the approximate incomes needed to afford a median or bottom-tier home. It also estimates annual income needed for a first time homebuyer, which is explained further in the Home Ownership Affordability call-out. To afford a median priced home in Medina, a minimum annual income of $569,131 is required, which is 524% of HUD AMI and 268% of the City’s median income. Even a bottom tier home requires a household income of $411,773, or 194% of HUD AMI.
Exhibit 29: Percentage of All Households by Income Bracket (Medina) shows the percentages of households by income bracket. Because ACS data does not break out household income above $200,000 and the minimum income to afford the median home is more than double that, it is difficult to have a more defined estimate of what percentage of households can potentially afford to own a home. However, at least 48% of households cannot afford a median home since that’s the percentage that have incomes below $200,000. Furthermore, ACS data is also not available on household savings, so even if a household has a high enough income, it is impossible to estimate whether they have enough savings for a down payment.
Exhibit 28: Cost of Home Ownership (Medina)
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, 2019; HUD, 2019; 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
MONTHLY MORTGAGE MEDIAN HOME BOTTOM TIER-HOME FIRST TIME
HOMEBUYER
Sales Price $2,858,012 $2,067,806 $2,429,310
Assumed down
payment $571,602 $413,561 $242,931
Mortgage amount $2,286,409 $1,654,245 $2,186,379
Monthly mortgage
payment $10,837 $7,841 $10,679
Monthly Income
Needed $47,428 $34,314 $45,201
Annual Income Needed $569,131 $411,773 $542,415
% of HUD AMI 524%379%499%
% of City Median
Income 268%194%255%
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Exhibit 29: Percentage of All Households by Income Bracket (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
How is home ownership affordability calculated?
Home ownership affordability was calculated using the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) which provides median home values for all ownership homes (single-family residential and condos) as well as averages among “Bottom Tier” homes (those in the 5th to 35th percentile of all units by value) and “Top Tier” (those in the 65th to 95th percentile of all units by value). The ZHVI represents the whole housing stock and not just homes that list or sell in a given month.
The monthly mortgage payment for these homes was calculated using several assumptions:
• The down payment is 20% for the Median Home and Bottom Tier Home calculations; therefore, the mortgage amount is 80% of the home value.
• Mortgage term is 30 years, so there are 360 payments over the course of the loan.
• Interest rate is the Freddie Mac national average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage from 2019.
• Monthly property taxes are assumed to be the county average.
• Monthly insurance payments are assumed to be 0.5% of the home’s value.
The First Time Homebuyer calculations are based on a metric used by the Washington Center for Real Estate Research to assess housing affordability for a given area given the assumptions for a first-time homebuyer. These assumptions differ from those listed by assuming the home value is 85% of the median and the down payment is 10% of the home value.
These assumptions provided the monthly costs expected to be paid for the three home value types. The monthly costs were divided by .3 and multiplied by 12 to determine the minimum annual income needed to afford them (i.e., not be cost-burdened). Note that monthly utility payments are not included because of lack of data for estimating these costs, so affordability may be overestimated.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
$200,000 or higher
$100,000 - $200,000
$50,000 - $100,000
$25,000 - $49,999
< $25,000
52%
23%
9%
7%
9%
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About 14% of the city’s housing stock are rental units, or approximately 163 housing units total. Four out of five renter households identify as white, and the remaining identify as Asian. There are no other minorities identified as residing in a rental unit. Exhibit 30: Age of Renters (Medina) shows the number of renter households by age group, displaying the inverse percentages discussed previously in the Home Ownership section. The under 35 age group has the highest rate of renter households at 46% of all households within that age group. However, the highest overall amount of renter households is in the 35-44 years age group trailed closely by the 45-54 years age group.
Rental Housing Costs
As of 2019, the median rent in Medina was $2,855, which is more than twice King County’s median rent of $1,606. Approximately 71% of households can afford the median rental cost. Medina’s median income is $212,337 and an annual income of $114,086 is required to afford a rental unit.10 Exhibit 31: Median Gross Rent by Number of Bedrooms (Medina) shows the median gross rent by number of bedrooms in Medina compared with the rents in King County. The data on rent in Medina is limited due to the lower quantity of units and range of unit sizes. The median monthly rent of a 3-bedroom unit is at least $3,500 which is less affordable than the median rent for 5-or-more bedroom rental in King County. Exhibit 32: Affordability of Median Cost Rental Units (Medina) takes the rental affordability analysis deeper by showing for which income ranges the median rents are affordable. The median rent for all units and a 3-bedroom unit is affordable for all household making 80% of the median income and above.
HUD provides data on rental units available by income bracket compared with the income levels of renter households as shown in Exhibit 33: Rental Units Available by Income Bracket (Medina). For extremely low- and very low-income renter households (earning less than 50% AMI), there is an undersupply in units available at the affordability level compared to number of households. Some of these households must rent units that cause them to be cost-burdened. For the 60% of renter households that earn over 80% of the AMI, there is a slight surplus of units priced to meet these incomes.
10 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Exhibit 30: Age of Renters (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
3.3 RENTAL HOUSING
AGE OF
RENTERS
PERCENTAGE OF
HOUSEHOLDS IN
AGE GROUP
Under 35 years 46%
35 to 44 years 31%
45 to 54 years 14%
55 to 64 years 6%
65 to 74 years 0%
75 to 84 years 19%
85 years & up 0%
This means there is less competition for the lower cost rental units, but there will be cost-burdened households as long as enough rental units do not exist that are affordable to households at all income levels.
While the ACS does not have rental vacancy information available at the city level, we can use the data for King County to gain an understanding of what renters in Medina may experience. The rental vacancy rate for King County is 3.3%, which is considered to be healthy but is verging on being too low. A healthy housing market has a vacancy rate around 5%; rates below 3% are generally considered too low and can lead to housing price inflation.
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Exhibit 31: Median Gross Rent by Number of Bedrooms (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Exhibit 32: Affordability of Median Cost Rental Units (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Number of
Rental Households
Number of
Affordable Units
Exhibit 33: Rental Units Available by Income Bracket (Medina)
Source: HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates).
BEDROOMS MEDINA KING COUNTY
No bedroom -$ 1,307
1 bedroom -$ 1,420
2 bedrooms -$ 1,671
3 bedrooms $ 3,500+$ 2,030
4 bedrooms -$ 2,350
5 or more bedrooms -$ 2,291
Median Gross $ 2,855 $ 1,606
HOUSEHOLD INCOME (% OF MEDINA
MEDIAN INCOME OF $212,337)
AFFORDABILITY OF MEDIAN COST RENTAL UNITS
ALL UNITS 3-BEDROOM
120%YES YES
100%YES YES
80%YES YES
60%NO NO
50% or less NO NO
0
20
40
60
80
100
>80% AMI50-80% AMI30-50% AMI< 30% AMI
30
45
0
10 15
0
85 80
Note: These median rent prices are based on data from the most recent community survey. A limited supply of rentals, age of units, and location influence prices. Furthermore, some units are difficult to classify as they may have amenities not seen in this data. Things like communal spaces, fitness areas, or a convenient setting. Finally, modern studios often have more square footage than a traditional one-bedroom unit.
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As mentioned previously, Medina has no subsidized housing units available to those households who qualify for income-restricted housing. However, as a member city of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), Medina does contribute funding to its Housing Trust Fund. The fund invests local funding from ARCH member cities to create and preserve affordable homes for low- and moderate-income incomes and individuals in East King County, but not necessarily within the jurisdiction from which the funds were contributed. Between 1993 and 2012, a total of 4 moderate- and low-income units had been created through direct assistance from Medina.11
11 ARCH, 2014.
3.4 SUBSIDIZED HOUSING
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KEY TAKEAWAYS: HOUSING CONDITIONS
Housing Inventory
• There are 1,132 housing units, of which more than 99% are single-family homes.
• Eight percent of the City’s housing stock is a one- or two-bedroom unit, even though over half of all households contain only one or two people, meaning there is a shortage of smaller units.
• A third of the housing stock was built before 1959. As these homes continue to age, there will be a greater need to repair, maintain, and rehabilitate older structures. Another third was developed between 1960 and 1989. Sixteen percent was constructed between 2000 and 2009.
• All of the residential permits issued since 2010 have been for single-family homes. The total number of housing units in Medina has actually decreased by nearly 3% since 2000, indicating that new construction is primarily occurring through redevelopment of existing properties.
Housing Ownership
• Eighty-one percent (81%) of the city’s housing units are owner-occupied.
• Homeowners are primarily white (73%) and Asian (24%).
• Households in the 65 to 74 and the 85 years and over age groups have the highest rates of ownership, at 100% each. Households that are 35 years old and younger have the lowest ownership rate at just over half of households in that age group.
• As of 2021, the median home value is $3,548,000 which has more than doubled since 2010. This steady increase in home values began in 2013.
• Bottom-tiered home values have increased by 147% since 2010 to a value of $2,615,000 as of 2021.
• The Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD AMI has increased by 35% since 2010 to $115,700 in 2021 but has not kept pace with increasing home ownership costs in the region.
• To afford a median priced home in Medina, a minimum annual income of $569,131 is required, which is 524% of HUD AMI and 268% of the City’s median income. This assumes the household has enough savings to afford the down payment.
Rental Housing
• Eighty percent (80%) of Medina’s renter households are white, and the rest are Asian.
• The under 35 age group has the highest rate of renter households at 46% of all households within that age group, but the highest overall amount of renter households is in the 35-44 years age group.
• As of 2019, the median rent in Medina was $2,855, which is more than twice King County’s median rent of $1,606. Approximately 71% of households can afford the median rental cost.
• The median rent for all units and a 3-bedroom unit is affordable for all household making 80% of the median income and above.
• For extremely low- and very low-income renter households (earning less than 50% AMI), there is an undersupply in units available at the affordability level compared to number of households. For the 60% of renter households that earn over 80% of the AMI, there is a slight surplus of units priced to meet these incomes.
• The rental vacancy rate for King County is 3.3% indicating that the rental housing market is healthy but trending towards scarcity which can lead to housing price inflation.
Subsidized Housing
• Medina has no subsidized housing units.
• Between 1993 and 2012, a total of 4 moderate- and low-income units had been created in East King County through Medina’s contributions into the ARCH Housing Trust Fund.
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Part 4: Gap Analysis
Every eight years, the Growth Management Act (GMA) requires counties to coordinate a review and evaluation of development and land supply. To meet this requirement, counties review cities and their respective growth targets, density goals, and available lands. This work aims to determine if cities have enough capacity to meet future growth needs. As population growth and housing needs are a regional matter, countywide targets are developed through a collaborative process. This process aims to ensure that all jurisdictions are accommodating a fair share of growth.
The 2021 King County Urban Growth Capacity Report provided Medina with a 2044 housing growth target of 1,253, or an additional 19 units from its 2018 total unit count of 1,234. Assuming a similar average household size, the population target is an additional 52 people, or a total population of 3,297 by 2044. The population growth target requires an average annual growth of approximately 2 people from the 2019 population of 3,245. The 2044 housing target requires an average annual increase of only one housing unit from the 2019 total. In 2017, PSRC produced projections to support the VISION 2040 regional growth plan. Exhibit 34: Housing Demand Projections (Medina) shows that Medina’s projected population for 2040 was 3,329. This is higher but does not differ significantly from the more recently set growth target. Vision 2050 passed in October 2020. PSRC has not yet released their updated projections dataset.
4.1 HOUSING NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH
Exhibit 34: Housing Demand Projections (Medina)
Source: OFM, 2020; PSRC, 2017; [King County], 2021.
2,500
3,000
3,500
20442040203520302025202020152010
2040 PSRC Projection: 3,329
2044 Growth Target: 3,297
Ho
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
s
PSRC Projection
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City of Medina Housing Needs Assessment
Affordability Gap by Income Level
As housing supply and affordability elicit a regional focus, the analysis in the next few sections shows how the current and future housing supply in Medina can meet the needs of King County as a whole. To ensure the housing needs of all economic segments of the population are addressed and housing-related burdens are not simply transferred between jurisdictions, each community should attempt to take on its fair share of affordable housing. Policy H-1 of the 2021 King County Countywide Planning Policies sets a countywide need for housing in 2044 by percentage of AMI. The percentages are as shown in the table below.
Policy H-4 requires cities to conduct create an inventory that shows the affordability gap of the jurisdiction’s housing supply as compared to the countywide need. These percentages are applied to Medina’s current total household number in Exhibit 35: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina) and Exhibit 36: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina).
Based on the percentages shown in the table below, the Medina housing stock does not meet the countywide need for those households earning 80% AMI and below. In other words, the current housing stock only meets the demand for those in the moderate income and above category. Ninety-three percent (93%) of Medina’s housing is only affordable to households in the moderate income and above range. Exhibit 36: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina) breaks the existing need into owners and renters, assuming the County’s current owners versus renters ratio within each income category. The highest need exists among renter households across all low-income categories.
INCOME LEVEL
EXTREMELY LOW VERY LOW-
INCOME LOW-INCOME MODERATE &
ABOVE INCOME
(<30% AMI)(30-50% AMI)(50-80% AMI)(>80% AMI)
Existing Need 179 179 226 607
Existing Housing 35 30 19 1,105
Existing Gap 144 149 207 498
COUNTYWIDE NEED FOR KING COUNTY IN 2044
INCOME CATEGORY HOUSEHOLD INCOME SHARE OF TOTAL UNITS
Extremely Low-Income 30% and below AMI 15%
Very Low-Income 31 - 50% of AMI 15%
Low-Income 51 - 80% of AMI 19%
Moderate Income and above >80% of AMI 51%
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.
Exhibit 35: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina)
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800 Existing Units
Renters
Homeowners
Moderate &
Above Median
Income
(> 80% AMI)
Low-Income
(50 - 80% AMI)
Very Low-Income
(30 - 50% AMI)
900
1,000
1,100
144 149 207
(498)
Ho
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
s
Extremely Low Income (<30% AMI)
Very Low-income (30-50% AMI)Low-income (50-80% AMI)Moderate & Above Median Income (>80% AMI)
Exhibit 36: Housing Needs, Existing Supply, and Gaps/Surplus by Income Level (Medina)
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.
Future Housing Need by Income Level
Exhibit 37: Projected Housing Needs and Gaps by Income Level (Medina) and Exhibit 38: Projected Housing Needs and Gaps by Income Level (Medina) compare existing housing supply with the projected need based on the 2044 growth targets. This comparison assumes that the county income distribution will remain the same as the housing supply grows. For this analysis, owners and renters are grouped together. The 2044 gap numbers represent the largest housing supply needs. In other words, these numbers indicate where supply increases should be encouraged and does not explicitly define a lack of supply if growth targets are achieved. In 2044, it appears the gaps are projected to remain among the low-income ranges due to growth in households at those ranges. This also assumes the preservation of the small existing supply of more moderately priced units. To address the gaps, it will be necessary for the City to consider how to increase the supply of housing at those income levels through incentives for affordable housing developments or by encouraging nonprofits to provide rent-subsidized housing in the city.
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INCOME LEVEL
EXTREMELY LOW VERY LOW-
INCOME LOW-INCOME MODERATE &
ABOVE INCOME
(<30% AMI)(30-50% AMI)(50-80% AMI)(>80% AMI)
Existing Need 179 179 226 607
Existing Housing 35 30 19 1,105
2044 Need 181 181 230 617
2044 Gap 146 151 211 488
Exhibit 37: Projected Housing Needs and Gaps by Income Level (Medina)
Exhibit 38: Projected Housing Needs and Gaps by Income Level (Medina)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Existing Units
Growth by 2044
Existing Need
Moderate &
Above Median
Income
(> 80% AMI)
Low Income
(50 - 80% AMI)
Very Low Income
(30 - 50% AMI)
Ho
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
s
146
900
1,000
1,100
151 211
(488)
Extremely Low Income (<30% AMI)
Very Low-income (30-50% AMI)Low-income (50-80% AMI)Moderate & Above Median Income (>80% AMI)
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.
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ALL UNITS UNITS TO OWN UNITS TO RENT
EXISTING
GAP 2044 GAP EXISTING
GAP 2044 GAP EXISTING
GAP 2044 GAP
Extremely Low-Income
(≤30% AMI)144 146 48 49 95 97
Very Low-Income
(30-50% AMI)149 151 40 41 108 110
Low-Income
(50-80% AMI)207 211 100 101 107 109
Moderate & Above Median
Income (>80% AMI)498 488 614 608 116 119
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.
Exhibit 39: Current Gaps versus Projected Gaps Based on Existing Housing (Medina)
Exhibit 40: Housing Units Needed by 2044 to Accommodate Growth (Medina)
Exhibit 39: Current Gaps versus Projected Gaps Based on Existing Housing (Medina) gives a more in-depth look at how the existing supply gap is projected to change by 2044 by dividing the totals into owner versus renter-occupied units. This analysis extrapolates the existing county percentages of owner and renter households and applies them to the 2044 growth targets. As stated previously, the 2044 gaps are meant to show at which income levels and for which types of units production should be prioritized to meet the countywide needs based on the city’s future population. More units available for ownership are needed across the low-income ranges, and the sizable surplus in the moderate income and above range is not expected to get much smaller. By 2044, more rental units will be necessary for all economic segments of the population. Special attention will be needed to fill the gap in rental units for extremely low- and very low-income households through the provision of income-restricted units as mentioned above.
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.
0
5
10
15
20
Above 80% AMI
50 - 80% AMI
30 - 50% AMI
30% AMI or less
10
3
3
4
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Exhibit 41: Comparison of Household Size versus Number of Bedrooms (Medina)
Source: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
4.2 DIVERSITY OF HOUSING CHOICES
Having a variety of housing choices is important for a city to meet the diverse needs of its population. Medina’s housing supply is composed almost entirely of single-family detached units (99%).12 While 51% of households in Medina have only one or two members, just 4% of units have one or fewer bedrooms, and all of these are rental units. A lack of smaller units compared to the percentage of one or two person households is noteworthy since smaller units are typically more affordable especially for smaller households that may be living off one income. It also means there is a lack of ownership options for younger families that may be looking to buy their first home and upsize later as their family grows. There is an oversupply of larger units in comparison to the distribution of household sizes, with 63% of all units having 4 or more bedrooms and only 10% of households having 5 or more people.
12 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.
Older Adults and Families with Children
Exhibit 41: Comparison of Household Size versus Number of Bedrooms (Medina) shows a few different household types that are cost-burdened in the city. Small families, which are families with 2 to 4 members (excluding older adults), make up the largest group of cost-burdened households. It is important to note that 70% of these households make above the median income yet are still cost-burdened. Many families likely have children since 42% of households in Medina have one or more people that are under 18. Housing concerns for families with children include sufficiently large housing units and proximity to schools, childcare facilities, and other amenities.
About 45% of households in Medina have one or more people that are 60 and over. Over half of older adults that are cost-burdened are low-income, earning less than 80% AMI. Older adults primarily consist of retired or retirement age individuals who rely on a variety of income sources, such as retirement benefits, social security, and accrued wealth. The ACS does not capture who is retired but does include data on who has retirement pensions and incomes. Retired individuals have a limited budget that must sustain them for the remainder of their lives, which ranges greatly based on health, location, and lifestyle. Older adults have higher medical costs that may also contribute to financial insecurity. Those living in families may experience financial constraints as a result of more people living in the household that also require financial assistance or resources. Older adults choosing to age in place may require additional support services such as home modification, transportation, recreation and socialization, yard care, or care management and counseling.
Exhibit 40: Housing Units Needed by 2044 to Accommodate Growth (Medina) summarizes the estimated new housing units needed by income level relative to HUD AMI to meet the 2044 growth target. Estimates are based on the countywide need levels discussed earlier.
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Source: HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates).
Older Adult Family: Two persons, either or both age 62 or olderOlder Adults Living Alone: A person 62+ living aloneLarge Family: Families with 5 or more membersSmall Family: Families with 2-4 members (excluding older adult families)Other: Non-family, non-elderly adult households (including those living alone or with housemates)
HOUSEHOLD
TYPE
EXTREMELY
LOW-INCOME
VERY LOW-
INCOME LOW-INCOME MODERATE
INCOME
ABOVE
MEDIAN
INCOME ALL COST-
BURDENED
HOUSEHOLDS
(<30% AMI)(30-50% AMI)(50-80% AMI)(80-100% AMI)(>100% AMI)
Older Adult
Family 0 25 10 4 28 67
Older Adults
Living Alone 19 15 4 15 0 53
Large Family 0 0 0 0 20 20
Small Family 10 14 4 10 90 128
Other 35 0 0 0 24 59
Total 64 54 18 29 162 327
Exhibit 42: Cost-Burdened Households by Type and Income Level (Medina)
Subsidized and Income-Restricted Units
As discussed earlier, subsidized or income-restricted units are one of the most important types of housing a city requires to ensure all housing needs are met. Without such units, it is difficult for many low-income households to avoid being cost-burdened. Furthermore, among these units, variety is necessary for the diversity of household types. No subsidized or income-restricted units currently exist in Medina.
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4.3 LAND CAPACITY ANALYSIS
Exhibit 43: Zoning of Land Capacity Compared with Current Tenure (Medina)
Source: ([King County], 2021; 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates.)
In addition to preparing the 2044 growth targets, the King County Urban Growth Capacity analysis determined the remaining capacity within the city based upon developable land. This was done for both employment and housing capacity. Although both are important for planning growth and development within the city over the next couple of decades, this report is mainly concerned with the latter. A land capacity analysis calculates the amount of vacant, partially used, and underutilized lands as well as land that has potential for redevelopment. This process identifies the potential for land within a community’s boundaries to accommodate anticipated housing growth given the current zoning restrictions. As of the beginning of 2019, Medina has a remaining net capacity of 8 units. To meet the 2044 housing growth target, Medina needs 19 new units, which means there is a capacity deficit of 11 units. The report notes that this is appropriate for now since the report is primarily concerned with confirming available capacity to accommodate remaining growth under the 2035 growth target, which Medina has already met. However, jurisdictions shall demonstrate zoned or planned capacity for their 2044 growth targets in the upcoming periodic update of the comprehensive plan in 2024.
Zoning Considerations
Another component of the land capacity analysis estimates the expected types of housing that will be built with the remaining capacity based on the zoning of the land where the capacity lies. This relies on the assumption that land zoned for lower densities will be developed with single-family units and that land zoned for higher densities will be developed with multifamily units. Another assumption used for the analysis is that single-family units will likely provide opportunities for homeownership while multifamily units will likely be occupied by renters. Although these are just assumptions, the exercise allows for a comparison between the current mix of owners versus renters in the city with the type of opportunities the remaining capacity may provide.
Exhibit 43: Zoning of Land Capacity Compared with Current Tenure (Medina) shows that 100% of the remaining vacant or developable land in Medina is zoned for lower density residential uses. This land will most likely be developed as single-family residential. While most households in Medina are owners, 14% of households are renters. Rentals of single-family detached residences do occur, but higher density rental developments tend to be more affordable.
ZONING CAPACITY
PERCENTAGE OF LAND
WITH REMAINING
CAPACITY ZONED FOR:
HOUSEHOLD TENURE
PERCENTAGES, 2019 CURRENT TENURE
Single-family 100%86%Owner
Multifamily 0%14%Renter
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Exhibit 44: Zoning of Land Capacity Compared with Projected Need (Medina)
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHAS (based on ACS 2014-2018 5-year estimates); [King County], 2021.)
Another interesting comparison from the land capacity analysis compares the anticipated number of units, divided by type, with the projected need. The projected need is based on the 2044 growth targets, and it has already been shown that there is currently a capacity deficit in terms of total units. Exhibit 44: Zoning of Land Capacity Compared with Projected Need (Medina) displays the approximate totals of the remaining capacity broken down into single-family versus multifamily. This is evaluated against the projected 2044 need of owner-occupied and renter-occupied units as taken from the gap analysis. Not only is there insufficient capacity for total units needed, but insufficient capacity also results when comparing the number of owner-occupied units with the projected need. Medina may consider zoning changes to allow additional capacity for all unit types, including multifamily residential development to generate additional rental opportunities.
ZONING CAPACITY
CAPACITY REMAINING
IN UNIT TYPE PER
ZONING:
2044 PROJECTED NEED CURRENT TENURE
Single-family 8 10 Units to Own
Multifamily 0 9 Units to Rent
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4.4 HUD LOCATION AFFORDABILITY INDEX
As a last glimpse at overall affordability of Medina and how different household types may be experiencing financial difficulties, Exhibit 45: HUD Location Affordability Index (Medina) shows the results of the Location Affordability Index (LAI) for the city. The LAI was developed by HUD and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in 2013 to better understand housing and transportation costs for specific geographies. This joint effort of HUD and the DOT stems from the reality that, aside from housing, transportation is the largest expense for most households. The index models eight different household profiles, shown in the table below, that vary by percent of area median income, number of people, and number of commuters. The calculations account for twenty-four measures such as monthly housing costs, average number of rooms per housing unit, average vehicle miles traveled per year, walkability, street connectivity, and others. These eight model households are not meant to represent specific groups but are rather useful for relative comparison to the digester’s particular situation. Broken down to the neighborhood (census tract) level, the LAI offers what percentage of their income each household profile would typically spend on housing and transportation costs. This information can be useful to the general public, policymakers, and developers in determining where to live, work, and invest.
Version 3, the most recent version of the LAI, was published in March 2019. Its data sources include the 2016-2012 5-year American Community Survey, 2014 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, and a few others. The eight household profiles modeled for the LAI are displayed. Please see the accompanying table for descriptions of each of the household types. Five out of eight of the household profiles (Very Low-Income Individual, Working Individual, Retired Couple, Single-Parent Family, and Moderate Income Family) are shown to be cost-burdened, or paying 30% or more of their income on housing costs. If this were the only measure of affordability under consideration, as it has been treated in this report thus far, Medina would still appear unaffordable to most households. Still, no household profiles are shown to be severely cost-burdened, or paying 50% or more of their income on housing costs. However, once transportation costs are brought into the conversation, the lack of affordability in Medina becomes even more concerning. All profiles spend over 30% of their income on housing and transportation costs combined, and all but two profiles spend over 45%, which is the maximum portion of income that should be spent on both types of costs. If this maximum is exceeded, HUD deems the location as unaffordable for the household profile in question. The most shocking number is the 64% of income spent on transportation costs by the Very Low-Income Individual profile, which brings their total spent on housing and transportation to 113% of their income.
The LAI shows how accessibility to work and amenities cannot be overlooked when addressing a city’s affordability issues, especially when accessibility itself is one of the determinants of housing costs. The high accessibility of a walkable, well-located neighborhood is normally added into the price of the rental and for sale housing there. Conversely, housing in a more automobile centric area with lower access to work opportunities and amenities will be priced at a discount. If a household living in a more suburban area is paying only 20% of their income on housing but also 20% of their income on transportation and their urban counterpart is paying 30% of their income housing but only 10% on transportation, the more suburban household should not be considered to have a more affordable living situation. The LAI shows that Medina should contemplate both housing and transportation costs if attempting to increase overall affordability for residents.
HOUSEHOLD TYPE INCOME SIZE NUMBER OF
COMMUTERS
Median Income Family 100% AMI 4 2
Very Low-Income Individual National poverty line
($11,880 for a single person household in 2016)1 1
Working Individual 50% AMI 1 1
Single Professional 135% AMI 1 1
Retired Couple 80% AMI 2 0
Single-Parent Family 50% AMI 3 1
Moderate Income Family 80% AMI 3 1
Dual-Professional Family 150% AMI 4 2
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HOUSEHOLD
PROFILE
SHARE OF INCOME
SPENT ON PERCENTAGE HOUSEHOLD
PROFILE
SHARE OF INCOME
SPENT ON PERCENTAGE
Median-Income
Family Transportation 23%Retired Couple Transportation 15%
Housing 29%Housing 39%
Housing +
Transportation 52%Housing +
Transportation 54%
Very Low-
Income
Individual
Transportation 64%Single-Parent
Family Transportation 31%
Housing 49%Housing 42%
Housing +
Transportation 113%Housing +
Transportation 73%
Working
Individual Transportation 27%Moderate-Income
Family Transportation 21%
Housing 31%Housing 35%
Housing +
Transportation 58%Housing +
Transportation 56%
Single
Professional Transportation 12%Dual-Professional
Family Transportation 15%
Housing 22%Housing 25%
Housing +
Transportation 33%Housing +
Transportation 41%
Exhibit 45: HUD Location Affordability Index (Medina)
Source: (HUD (based on ACS 2012-2016 5-year estimates).
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KEY TAKEAWAYS: GAP ANALYSIS
Housing Needed to Accommodate Future Growth
• Medina has a 2044 housing growth target of 1,253 or a population target of around 3,297 people.
• Based on countywide need, the Medina housing stock has an insufficient supply of low-income housing, for those households earning 80% AMI and below.
• To address these gaps by 2044, Medina will likely need to consider how to increase the supply housing at those levels through incentives for affordable housing developments or by encouraging the provision of rent-subsidized housing.
Diversity of Housing Choices
• By comparing the household sizes and number of bedrooms provided in units in Medina, there do not appear to be enough smaller units, which could provide sufficiently sized, more affordable housing options for smaller households.
• Small families are currently experiencing proportionally higher rates of cost-burden.
• Subsidized housing may need to be introduced in Medina to meet the needs of the various types of households that are low-income.
Land Capacity Analysis
• As of 2019, Medina does not have enough vacant or redevelopable land to meet its 2044 growth targets. It will need to demonstrate zoned or planned capacity sufficient to meet the growth targets in the 2024 comprehensive plan update.
• All the remaining vacant or redevelopable land is zoned for lower density or single-family development.
• The gap analysis projects that the capacity deficit exists for both owner and renter-occupied units, meaning Medina may consider zoning changes to allow additional capacity for all unit types, including multifamily residential development to generate additional rental opportunities.
HUD Location Affordability Index
• According to the LAI, five household profiles (Very Low-Income Individual, Working Individual, Retired Couple, Single-Parent Family, and Moderate-Income Family) are shown to be cost-burdened. Furthermore, once transportation costs are estimated, only two profiles (Single Professional and Dual-Professional Family) do not spend more than 45% of their household income on housing and transportation costs combined.
• The Very Low-Income Individual profile is estimated to typically spend more than their annual income (119%) on housing and transportation costs.
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NEXT STEPS
This Housing Needs Assessment identifies Medina’s current and future housing needs. In addition to the HNA, the Housing Action Plan will be informed by a public engagement effort and an assessment of existing city policies and regulations. Housing Action Plan strategies will address identified needs and policy changes and will be presented to Council for review and adoption in 2023.
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Housing is absolutely essential to human
flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart.
-Matthew Desmond
American Sociologist
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Housing Action Plan
Public Outreach Summary
Medina, WA
Prepared for
City of Medina
Planning Commission
501 Evergreen Point Road,
Medina WA 988039
Attn: Laurel Preston, Planning Commission Chair
Blueline Job No. 21-298
Prepared by: Cyrus Oswald, Assistant Planner
Reviewed by: Caitlin Hepworth, Planner
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Table of Contents
Introduction and Methods ................................................................................................................... 3
Survey Purpose ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Importance of Housing ......................................................................................................................... 3
Stakeholder Methods ........................................................................................................................... 3
Survey Methods ................................................................................................................................... 2
Technical Stakeholder Results .............................................................................................................. 2
Accessory Dwelling Units ..................................................................................................................... 2
Streamlined Permit Process ................................................................................................................. 2
Development Incentives ...................................................................................................................... 2
Senior Housing Strategy ....................................................................................................................... 2
Technical Stakeholder concerns .......................................................................................................... 3
Community Stakeholder Results .......................................................................................................... 3
Perceptions ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Takeaways ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Community Concerns ........................................................................................................................... 3
Survey Results ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Respondent Profile ............................................................................................................................... 4
Significance ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Housing Quality .................................................................................................................................... 5
Community Profile ............................................................................................................................... 6
Needed Housing ................................................................................................................................... 7
Potential Housing Solutions ................................................................................................................. 8
Limitations ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Public Perceptions of Existing Housing Stock .......................................................................................... 9
Housing Cost ........................................................................................................................................... 10
Housing Solutions ................................................................................................................................... 10
Community Take Aways ......................................................................................................................... 10
Appendix A: Respondent Demographics ............................................................................................ 11
Appendix B: Housing Demographics ................................................................................................... 11
Appendix C: Housing Survey ............................................................................................................... 13
Appendix D: Write-In responses ......................................................................................................... 15
Appendix E: Survey Questionnaire ..................................................................................................... 22
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Introduction and Methods
Outreach Purpose
The city of Medina has received grant funding from the Department of Commerce to create a Housing Action Plan. A
city’s Housing Action Plan (HAP) is developed after conducting a housing needs assessment, which determines the
current and future state of housing within the jurisdiction. This housing needs assessment (HNA) seeks to evaluate
service for all income levels, establish population and employment trends, and consider what the land capacity is within
the jurisdiction. Some topics in the HNA and HAP are required, such as evaluating population trends, while others are
optional, such as a land capacity analysis. To receive grant funding, there are some required community and stakeholder
engagement actions that must be met, such as participation and input from community groups, local realtors, and
nonprofit housing advocates. This document outlines the process by which the Medina community was engaged, as well
as analysis of the feedback received.
The HAP should be used to inform the comprehensive plan housing element. The Washington State 1990 Growth
Management Act (GMA) requires all incorporated municipalities within King County to develop a comprehensive plan
addressing population growth impact to government facilities and services. The GMA implements land use planning
strategies to evaluate the predicted level of service needs associated with population growth and assess existing
facilities and services. The City’s Housing Action Plan which will go into more depth than the housing element of the
Comprehensive Plan.
The purpose of the HAP Public Outreach Survey and Stakeholder Input Process is to gather community input to inform
the construction of the HAP document. The public outreach allows residents to participate in the long-range planning of
their housing conditions and helps determine what strategies will be used in the HAP. The community desires, derived
from the outreach survey and stakeholder input groups, will be addressed in the HAP.
Importance of Housing
Ensuring access to housing is one of the fundamental functions of effective planning. In Medina, twenty-seven percent
of households are currently cost-burdened, and by 2044 there is a projected deficit of 297 housing units for very or
extremely low-income people. Creating policies that encourage development to meet current and projected community
needs is paramount.
Stakeholder Methods
Two groups of stakeholders were identified to give in-depth feedback on the Housing Needs Assessment and provide
direction for future housing development in Medina. A group of community stakeholders attended virtual sessions in
July and September 2022, and a group of technical stakeholders attended a separate virtual session in August. The first
community stakeholder meeting group answered a series of questions about the perceived accuracy of the Housing
Needs Assessment together before breaking into smaller groups to discuss how Medina should accommodate the needs
identified in the HNA. The second community stakeholder meeting was one facilitated group discussion about housing
conditions and needs. The technical stakeholder group also started by discussing the accuracy of the Housing Needs
Assessment before moving on to more specific aspects of the future housing development strategy. These more specific
aspects included accessory dwelling units, streamlined permit processes, development initiatives, and senior housing.
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Survey Methods
Surveying was performed using SurveyMonkey, an online survey tool. Everyone in the city of Medina was invited to
participate between May 30th and July 25th, 2022. The community survey was available both electronically and via hard
copies in Medina City Hall. Advertising occurred on the city’s website and social media pages. One hundred fifty-four
respondents responded to thirty-one questions about housing in Medina.
Technical Stakeholder Results
The technical stakeholder group felt that the housing needs assessment was accurate and reflected genuine community
conditions. Members noted that finding solutions to increase density in Medina can be problematic due to local politics.
The analysis below describes the results of the technical stakeholder engagement process regarding different housing
related topics.
Accessory Dwelling Units
Technical stakeholders generally gave more reasons in favor of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) development than
reasons against. ADUs were noted as an affordable way to meet density needs which were feasible given the current
conditions in Medina. Homes with existing secondary structures which can accommodate ADUs could ease the further
development of ADUs. However, the politics of Medina are not agreeable to their development, many lots are already at
max coverage, and owners with the large lots conducive to ADU development may not want to develop one. Feasibility
research into benefits and obstacles should be done before any changes to zoning code to incentivize ADUs are made.
Streamlined Permit Process
Stakeholders were in favor of creating a streamlined permit process. Special exemption processes for ADUs serving
specific populations, such as seniors and teachers, and special permissions or joint programs for adjacent owners were
specifically identified as two use cases for permit streamlining.
Development Incentives
Development incentives to increase the density in Medina were considered by the group. Allowing mixed use in Medina
Circle, increasing commercial uses, considering a multifamily zone, and allowing more permitted zero lot line
developments were considered favorable strategies to increase both density and city tax revenue. A lack of undeveloped
lands for new housing types and lack of public support for smaller lot rezoning were identified as obstacles to creating
development incentives. Creating these incentives may result from further research, such as considering ADU unit size
and fiscal analysis on current affordable housing development. Obstacles, such as high property values, would have to
be overcome.
Senior Housing Strategy
The need for a senior housing facility was identified by the technical stakeholder group. Need could be served through
the development of a mixed-use facility with community areas on the ground floor and senior housing above, as could a
support program for ADU development on seniors’ lots as a means of creating passive income. Zoning density bonuses
and land donations may be necessary to incentivize senior and low-income housing. Concerns about senior affordability
due to fixed incomes and high property costs/taxes were raised.
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Technical Stakeholder concerns
Concerns were largely related to the politics of the community and the developed nature of Medina. Technical
stakeholders were not aware of any undeveloped lots in Medina, and indicated many lots are already at max coverage.
Community opposition to smaller lot rezoning and lack of incentives for property owners to build ADUs on their
properties were noted as obstacles to development.
Community Stakeholder Results
The analysis below describes the results of the community stakeholder engagement process. The topics discussed with
the whole group pertained to community perceptions of the Housing Needs Assessment such as accuracy,
completeness, and consistency. In the first meeting, the group then split into two breakout rooms and discussed local
housing character preservation in the context of the greater region, the community context from which the HNA arises,
how to increase housing options, and what development styles the city should encourage in the future.
Perceptions
There was disbelief in the data validity among some members of the community stakeholder group. There was high
interest in how the data was procured, as well as some distrust in the consultant analysis methodology. Stakeholders
expressed disbelief in the income estimate figures, and community consensus was that no housing issues existed in
Medina. The group did not feel that there was any physical space for additional developments and was not interested in
increased density through the encouragement of multifamily buildings, affordable developments, or subdivisions.
The main housing issue identified was vacant or unoccupied homes causing higher living costs. The group would have
liked more information on the demographics vacant and rental homeowners and did not think the existing infrastructure
in the city could support increased density. The community stakeholder groups did not feel there was a need to change
development patterns within the City of Medina.
Takeaways
The community stakeholder group expressed a high priority for preserving the character and aesthetic of Medina.
Preservation of shared open spaces, parks, docks, style of homes, and high quality of life was paramount to residents.
Residents needed to be more interested in encouraging the development of higher-density housing units such as
apartments or multi-unit zones. The community felt like housing availability was not a local issue and is staunchly
opposed to additional development within the City. Members felt that more efficient use of unused properties, such as
vacant houses or vacation homes, and lowering property tax rates are the primary method by which Medina should
rectify the high housing burden costs.
Community Concerns
The community stakeholder group was very concerned about potential changes to the types of housing available in
Medina. Similarly, changing the visual appearance of the neighborhoods either through new developments or
unattended vacant properties was very concerning to residents. The group also repeatedly expressed concerns for the
process of updating Medina housing policy. Doubt about the need to consider changing the types of housing available in
Medina was brought up several times.
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Survey Results
The analysis below describes the current perceptions and future aspirations of respondents as they pertain to the
Medina housing stock. Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100. Complete tabulation of data is given in
Appendix A, Appendix B, and Appendix C.
Respondent Profile
The majority (53%) of respondents were between the ages of 55 and 74, followed by 29% of respondents between 35
and 54, 17% above 75, and finally less than 1% under 34. This is an older demographic than the Medina population,
which is roughly a third under 34, a third 35-54, and the final third over 55. The survey sample was slightly whiter than
Medina, which is two thirds white, a quarter Asian or Pacific Islander, five percent Multiracial, four percent Hispanic, and
one percent Black. Respondents were 80% white, 13% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 4% Multiracial. Homeowners were
disproportionately represented in the survey, with less than 3 percent of respondents renting- compared to 14% of
renters in the population. Most respondents have lived in their current homes for more than ten years and travel
between 1-10 away from home per day.
All respondents live in single family homes, which roughly mirrors the 99% of Medina that lives in single family homes.
Respondent household size roughly mirrored the population, with 90% of both groups living in houses of four or less.
The survey sample had more two person houses, where the population has more one person houses. Twenty three
percent of respondents indicated housing costs as a serious financial burden, like the 27% of Medina households which
are cost burdened.
Significance
This survey received 154 responses, 5% of the 2021 population of Medina. This sample size can be considered a
significant amount, which may represent the overall population accurately. When drawing conclusions from this sample,
the respondent profile should be considered.
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Housing Quality
Survey respondents are very satisfied with the quality of their current housing. Eighty-five percent of respondents were
at least satisfied with the distance from their house to their work or school, like the 93% of respondents who were
satisfied with their home’s proximity to amenities. Eighty five percent of respondents were satisfied with the size of
their homes, like the 82% of respondents who were satisfied with the condition of their homes. All metrics had less than
an 11% dissatisfaction rate, except for cost, where 15% of respondents were dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied.
Twelve out of 82 respondents who wrote additional comments on the survey (all written responses are listed in
Appendix D) noted that Medina is an expensive or costly place to live, although only five of those noted this
unaffordability as a negative aspect of Medina. The full breakdown of housing quality is given in fig. 1.
Figure 1: Survey respondent opinions on current housing quality.
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Community Profile
Survey respondents agreed that Medina is a good place to live if you can live there. Ninety-eight percent of respondents
believed that Medina is a great place to live in general and that Medina is a good place for families to live. About eighty
percent of the full sample found that Medina is a good place for older people to live, and 96% of respondents older than
75 agreed. Eighty two percent of respondents agreed that Medina has services and amenities that improve quality of
life. People overall agreed that Medina is a nice place to live, but the group was more split about the accessibility of
housing in Medina. Two thirds of the sample didn’t think that young people can find comfortable, adequate, and
affordable housing in Medina, and only 12% thought that young people could (22% had no opinion). Thirty percent of
the sample expressed concern about being unable to live in Medina within the near future. In the open response
section, some respondents noted concern for a future where they cannot afford to live in Medina, often citing property
tax as a reason. The full breakdown of perceptions on the community served in Medina is given in fig. 2.
Figure 2: Survey respondent opinions on various aspects related to communities currently best served in Medina.
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Needed Housing
Respondents generally do not believe that housing options in Medina should change. Eighty eight percent of
respondents disagreed that Medina needs more apartments, other rental housing options, or emergency housing
options and services. Seventy percent of the sample found there should not be more affordable housing in Medina. In
the open response section, some respondents write that it isn’t Medina’s role to provide affordable housing. As one
individual wrote, “It should not allow for multiple housing developments, lower income housing or multiple family
dwellings. There are many areas outside of Medina that provide that.” Another wrote,” I feel very strongly that Medina
should remain SFR [single family residential] only – no multifamily housing of any type”. Some (31%) thought that
housing should be available for those who work in the community, but more (51%) felt it should not. Two thirds of
respondents disagreed that larger homes should be available for large families, and a similar amount (55%) thought
smaller housing should be available for smaller families. Respondents overall did not feel that the housing stock in
Medina should change. The full breakdown of perceptions on types of housing needed is given in fig. 3.
Figure 3: survey respondent opinions on housing needs.
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Potential Housing Solutions
The sample agreed with some housing support measures. Sixty-one percent of respondents found that ensuring existing
housing is in good condition and providing support for older community members are good ideas. Residents found that
providing support for working families and fixed income households who spend a disproportionate amount on housing
was not a good solution (50%, compared to 18% who thought it was a good solution), and did not support building
dedicated affordable housing. The sample was slightly split between wanting to protect residents from being displaced
or forced out of their housing (47%) and not (27%). The full breakdown of potential housing solution perceptions is given
in fig. 4.
Figure 4: survey respondent opinions on potential future housing solutions.
When asked to rank specific types of housing, residents gave the strongest preference for accessory dwelling units, with
more than two thirds (69%) ranking it is their first choice. Townhomes were ranked second, followed by senior/assisted
living, multifamily housing, and finally manufactured housing (65% ranked this as their last choice). In the free response
section, some residents made clear that none of these housing types are preferred. As one wrote, “By ranking these
options it gives the survey askers / city an incorrect answer as to how you’d rank … as opposed to the fact that NONE of
the options would be acceptable.” The full breakdown of ranked housing types is given in fig. 5, and all free response
answers are in Appendix D.
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Figure 5: Respondent’s ranking of various housing types.
Limitations
The community stakeholder activity was not attended by all the planned attendees. As with most community
stakeholder processes, more input may have been advantageous. Similarly, a lack of belief in income estimates and lack
of overall project buy in may have caused a misrepresentation of community opinions during the process.
The survey sample was slightly more white, older, and owned their homes more than the population of Medina.
However, the conclusions of the survey generally agree with the take-aways from the stakeholder meetings, and the
sample size (5% of the population) was sufficient. It is reasonable to use the results of the survey to inform the further
construction of the Housing Action Plan.
Conclusion
The Medina community values their existing housing stock and acknowledges that housing costs are high. However, they
do not see changes in housing options available as a good solution. The nuances in community opinions of housing type
will be considered with the creation of the Housing Action Plan.
Public Perceptions of Existing Housing Stock
The community in Medina is largely satisfied with their existing housing stock. The people living there see little reason to
change the current policies, as they currently enjoy quality housing in a good location. Residents appreciate the single-
family residential character in Medina, as one survey respondent said, “maintain the status quo, basically single-family
dwellings. Multi-family dwellings would change the nature of the city”. The technical stakeholder group recognized
strong public opinion, noting that rezoning to smaller lots will not be supported by the public.
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Housing Cost
Community members were aware of high housing costs and attributed this high cost primarily to empty or vacant units
within the city or high property taxes. Multiple survey respondents noted that property taxes are increasing so much
that long term residents cannot afford to live in Medina anymore. While community stakeholders and survey
respondents recognized the high housing cost in Medina, they were split on what that meant. As evidenced by the 30%
of survey respondents who are concerned about being unable to live in Medina within the near future, and numerous
answers in the open response section anticipating future personal housing burden, some survey respondents were
concerned about high housing costs. However, many were not. As one respondent put it, “If you can’t afford to live
here—then don’t! There are plenty of placed elsewhere. Fact of life—some people have more money than others. It’s
not wrong and doesn’t need to be changed.”
Housing Solutions
Survey and community stakeholder participants feel that there is little space, demand, or support for any sort of higher
density housing. Survey respondents were in favor of smaller houses, but perhaps with the intention of preserving the
character of the city and not with the goal of increasing density. While the technical stakeholder group saw ADUs and a
senior housing facility as feasible ways to solve some of the present housing problems, the community stakeholder
group and survey respondents gave little latitude for any changes to housing options. Residents believe that the
preservation of existing housing options, common spaces, quality of life, and population should be the priority when
determining future housing policy.
People in Medina recognize that it is an expensive place to live, however their preference for the existing single-family
character supersedes any desire to increase housing accessibility. While some people surveyed agreed that more
housing should be available for people working in Medina, and there is some concern about individuals’ future inability
to live in the city, multiple comments in stakeholder meetings and survey items qualified multi-unit housing of any sort
as unacceptable. People agree that housing problems are present in some capacity, but they do not see additional
development within the city of Medina as the solution. As one survey respondent said, “There are sufficient social
service options in area, including low-income housing… high valuations and onerous property taxes the real problem.”
Community Take Aways
Community preferences around housing solutions must be considered when creating the Housing Action Plan. The
stakeholder group expressed that the existing residential character in Medina is extremely important to the community,
and that Medina will likely remain extremely residential for the foreseeable future. Survey responses and the technical
stakeholder group made clear that there would be community resistance to any large apartment, intentionally
affordable, or emergency housing. One survey respondent wrote, “I RESIST, and want my city to RESIST the mandates
from outsiders demanding that the character of my town be changed.” However, looking forward there may be room to
increase housing access through methods which preserve the character of small single family residential units and
support the existing residents.
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Appendix A: Respondent Demographics
The below graphs and charts describe the reported demographics of adult survey participants. Color formatting shades
higher percentages blue.
Table 1:
Select your age range. Answer Choices Responses
Under 34 0.66%
35 to 54 28.95%
55 to 74 53.29%
75+ 17.11%
Answered 152
Skipped 2
Table 2:
Which of the following best describes you?
Answer Choices Responses
Asian or Pacific Islander 13.16%
Black or African American 0.66%
Hispanic or Latino 0.00%
Native American or Alaskan Native 0.00%
White 79.61%
Multiracial or Biracial 3.95%
A race/ethnicity not listed here 2.63%
Answered 152
Skipped 2
Appendix B: Housing Demographics
The following tables describe the complete set of responses to multiple-choice questions related to respondent’s
housing situation. Color formatting shades higher percentages blue.
Table 3:
How many people are in your
household (including yourself)?
Answer Choices Responses
1 person 9.80%
2 people 39.87%
3 people 13.07%
4 people 26.14%
5 people 7.19%
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6 people 3.92%
7 people or more 0.00%
Answered 153
Skipped 1
Table 4:
Do you own or rent your
residence?
Answer Choices Responses
Own 97.39%
Rent 2.61%
N/A 0.00%
Answered 153
Skipped 1
Table 5:
Are your housing costs a serious
financial burden?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes 22.52%
No 77.48%
Answered 151
Skipped 3
Table 6:
When did you move to your current
home?
Answer Choices Responses
Less than a year ago 2.61%
1-5 years ago 16.34%
6-10 years ago 13.73%
11 or more years ago 67.32%
Answered 153
Skipped 1
Table 7:
On an average day, how far (in
miles) do you travel from your
home?
Answer Choices Responses
Less than 1 mile 6.58%
1-5 miles 37.50%
5-10 miles 40.79%
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10-20 miles 9.21%
20+ miles 5.92%
Answered 152
Skipped 2
Table 8:
Which of the following housing types best describes where you
live?
Answer Choices Responses
Single-family home 100.00%
Townhome/duplex/triplex or similar 0.00%
Unit in multiunit building 0.00%
Accessory dwelling unit (e.g., in-law suite or granny flat) 0.00%
Mobile or manufactured home 0.00%
Senior/assisted living 0.00%
Answered 152
Skipped 2
Appendix C: Housing Survey
The following tables describe the complete set of responses to multiple-choice questions related to respondent’s
perspective of housing in Medina. Color formatting shades higher values blue.
Table 9: How satisfied are you with your current housing in regard to the following criteria?
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
Distance to work/school 0.7% 0.0% 13.9% 21.9% 63.6%
Cost/price 5.3% 9.3% 29.1% 31.8% 24.5%
Size of home 1.3% 4.6% 9.2% 35.5% 49.3%
Age/condition of home 1.3% 9.3% 7.3% 33.8% 48.3%
Proximity to amenities (e.g., parks,
retail stores, bus routes, etc.) 2.6% 1.3% 3.3% 23.5% 69.3%
Answered 153
Skipped 1
Table 10: Outside of the most common type of housing in Medina (single-family homes), what type of
housing would you like to see to accommodate the growing need? (Rank the choices by order of
preference)
1 2 3 4 5
Townhomes/duplexes/triplexes or similar 17.89% 41.05% 18.95% 15.79% 6.32%
Multifamily housing 1.06% 9.57% 24.47% 43.62% 21.28%
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Senior/assisted living 16.33% 23.47% 34.69% 18.37% 7.14%
Manufactured housing 5.38% 4.30% 12.90% 12.90% 64.52%
Accessory dwelling units (e.g., in-law
suites or granny flats) 68.57% 19.05% 4.76% 4.76% 2.86%
Answered 116
Skipped 38
Table 11: How likely are you to agree or disagree with the following statements?
Strongly
Disagree Disagree
No
Opinion Agree
Strongly
Agree
Medina is a great place to live. 0.76% 0.76% 0.76% 33.33% 64.39%
Young people can find comfortable,
adequate housing they can afford
in Medina. 37.12% 28.79% 21.97% 8.33% 3.79%
Medina is a good place for families
to live. 0.76% 0.76% 0.76% 34.09% 63.64%
Medina is a good place for older
people to live. 2.27% 10.61% 6.82% 40.91% 39.39%
Medina has services and amenities
that improve my quality of life. 0.76% 4.55% 12.88% 46.97% 34.85%
I am concerned about being unable
to live in Medina within the near
future. 27.27% 28.79% 13.64% 18.94% 11.36%
Answered 133
Skipped 21
Table 12: Indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements. Medina needs
more…
Strongly
Disagree Disagree
No
Opinion Agree
Strongly
Agree
...apartments and other rental
housing options. 61.54% 26.15% 4.62% 5.38% 2.31%
...affordable housing options (i.e.,
housing reserved for households
earning 80% or less of the area
median income or $95,300
annually). 43.94% 26.52% 15.15% 10.61% 3.79%
...emergency housing options and
services (e.g., shelters, transitional
housing, day centers, assistance for
victims of domestic violence, etc.). 60.61% 28.03% 7.58% 3.03% 0.76%
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...housing affordable to those who
work in the community. 26.52% 24.24% 18.18% 28.03% 3.03%
...smaller housing options for
smaller households. 24.24% 14.39% 15.91% 39.39% 6.06%
...larger homes for housing large or
extended families. 37.12% 30.30% 22.73% 8.33% 1.52%
Answered 133
Skipped 21
Table 13: Indicate how you feel about some of these potential housing solutions.
This is a
good
solution
No
Opinion/Unsure
This is NOT
a good
solution
Ensuring existing housing is in good condition 60.77% 26.92% 12.31%
Providing support for older community members 61.07% 22.90% 16.03%
Providing support for working families and fixed
income households who are paying a large share of
their incomes on housing 18.46% 31.54% 50.00%
Building dedicated affordable housing units 12.21% 22.90% 64.89%
Protecting residents from being displaced or forced
our of their current housing 46.56% 26.72% 26.72%
Answered 131
Skipped 23
Appendix D: Write-In responses
The following are verbatim write-in responses submitted. Responses include any typographical, grammar, or other
mistakes.
Do you have any additional comments, questions, or concerns related to Medina’s housing needs you would like to
share?
Answered: 82. Skipped: 72
Too many tall trees require us to clean non-stop all year around. Not ideal for aged
individuals, especially potential fallen branches/trees when storms come.
One problem I see is rental homes or absent ownership and lack of property maintenance by
property owners. Lack of investment in “community” by absent ownership. We need to keep
our community store. Many young people cannot afford to live here.
Medina is a great place to live for young families and on into grand parenting.
This is an odd survey. Medina is definitely not a “typical” community, more like an exclusive
destination neighborhood.
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there is o need for the city to tinker with the present housing. It is a lovely residential place.
there are too few places where single family homes are required.
This is an interesting and complicated survey addressing the general Medina community.
The complexity of our community as well as the broad age range and socioeconomic
elements makes averaging Medina extremely difficult.
Property taxes far too high. Town spending growing far too much, making work and
development where not needed and not appreciably benefitting quality of life. Police and fire
are the only services we really need kept at the level they are now; the rest of the town is
beautiful as is and the high levels of spending are just making the town more expensive.
Almost no middle-income families are in the town anymore.
Stop allowing buyers to leave empty unkept properties. Hines sits empty. Too many renters
who take no ownership responsibilities. Too many international buyers. charge a surtax like
Vancouver BC
Create more flexibility/allowance for homeowners who want to remove trees on their property
Sure, wish that trees were not indiscriminately bulldozed all the time to build mc mansions.
Keep older homes maintained instead of constantly building new ones. Don’t put houses
immediately next to others.
Property taxes are really high for retired senior citizens.
I feel very strongly that Medina should remain SFR only—no multifamily housing of any type
Thank you
No
I have been in the same house for 57 years. House is 4000 sq ft and has need remodeled
once. Am widowed and live on SS and teacher retirement income. House is in good repair,
but county classifies it as a tear down. Land valuation has gone up every year. With the
construction of a 5.5 mil. House next door, tax now nearly 20000 per year. I must live very
frugally to continue to live here and pay for reasonable yard and house maintenance.
Medina zoning encourages large houses and wealthy families who can afford them. There is
no relief for the elderly or longtime residents who have incomes above approx. 60 M. I am
only slightly above. Complaints are met with "you can sell and make a profit" but then where
do I go?
Medina needs to find a way to support longtime residents. I am sure i am not the only one
who thinks the city is indifferent to our needs and desires to be a place for only the most
affluent.
I would like to know the origin of the survey, the reason for the survey & the author of the
questions. Mary Saad
No
Keep Medina as it is.
I am personally concerned about property taxes getting so high that people like myself Who
have lived here for 30+ years may be forced out.
Why are we addressing this?
Item 10. None of the proposals are acceptable.
No
Medina is unique and offers the community and excellent experience. It should not allow for
multiple housing developments, lower income housing or multiple family dwellings. There are
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many areas outside of Medina that provide that. Medina should remain a calm and secure
place to live in a crowded and complex world.
Stop allowing huge houses to be built that take up a large portion of the lot size. Don't allow
lots to be subdivided below half an acre.
Highway noise … still an issue
It isn’t clear how Medina can be made compatible with affordable housing.
No shelters. Please leave the community intact
I did not like or appreciate the ranked preference question. It infers an acceptance or
preference for the 5 options… I tried to skip the question - as none of these are acceptable.
By ranking these options, it gives the survey askers / city an incorrect answer as to how you’d
rank … as opposed to the fact that NONE of the options would be acceptable.
Medina’s housing prices were so significantly impacted by the number of foreign (primarily
Chinese) absentee purchasers - throwing money at houses — causing rapid increases in
pricing. Then leaving the homes empty - creating eyesores and habitats for rodents - it has
been so sad to see the degrading of many areas - as purchasers don’t care or have pride in
their homes — they view these purchases as investments - and have zero sense of
community. As a very long-term Medina resident and taxpayer - I am so saddened to see this
decline.
Trees and lots are cut down and decimated …. And then allowed to be so overgrown …. I
don’t know this town anymore.
Having lower income housing in this neighborhood is completely absurd! If you can’t afford to
live here—then don’t! There are plenty of places elsewhere. Fact of life—some people have
more money than others. It’s not wrong and doesn’t need to be changed.
Medina is a unique community with a special environment. We do not need to change the
character of our neighborhood with housing ideas that have nothing in common with our
existing livability. Stop this discussion now!!
When we can't afford it anymore, we will move but nothing in the area is what I would call
affordable.
A missing link in Medina's walkability is Overlake Drive East. Please recognize this is a path
to Clyde Beach Park, Meydenbauer Beach Park, and downtown Bellevue for residents of
Medina which needs considerable safety improvements. Fixing that will improve Medina's
"access to amenities" rating.
Not just allowing, but actually building affordable housing, transitional housing, senior
housing, multi-family housing, will make Medina stand out as living its values and leading the
Points in addressing the income inequality plaguing our nation and region.
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Medina is an executive community. As such, when people from other executive communities
visit, they often comment on how ugly Medina is. They notice wires hanging from telephone
poles, junk cars in front yards, dilapidated houses, crab grass filled parks, crumbling
sidewalks, houses with unkept landscaping, painted traffic lines, that you would find on high
speed streets, on residential streets. Commuter cars parked on residential streets. And
generally a poor hillbilly looking neighborhood. I think if city leaders had grown up in places
like Palo Alto or La Jolla or Westminster NY or Kalorama DC, they would understand how
shabby Medina looks. This survey only illustrates how detached the city is from
acknowledging that Medina is for high earners (executives). I would suggest accepting this
fact and working to build the best looking Medina possible to reflect the incredible high real
estate taxes the residents pay relative to other cities in WA state.
There is no need for any low income housing or multi family. I will actively campaign against
any public official that suggests these changes.
We need to keep Medina the close bedroom community that it is.
The current character of Medina should be preserved. Multi-unit housing would undermine
that. There are more affordable alternative housing options in close proximity elsewhere in
Bellevue and other Eastside communities.
Lower the property taxes so retirees can stay in their homes if they desire!
Medina is thriving because people get to choose what kind of housing they live in and not
because the city has been awarded a grant for planning and policy creation regarding
housing. Keep the city government taking care of the current residents and the services that
we have such as Medina Market, Post Office, and our park and schools. Do not add any item
except possibly extra units if someone wants to add them to their house. No affordable
housing, no townhomes, no senior assisted living facilities, not necessary as we are backed
up to a very large metropolitan city with all of those needs. Keep Medina simple! That is why
we moved here.
I did not answer questions 13 on because there was no detail on who would be providing the
support. Given the affluence of this community it’s hard to envision apartments and
manufactured homes. I also don’t think the assembling of large estates has improved the
community. We have lost great neighbors that moved because of property tax increases and
skyrocketing revenue from selling their homes. The Green Store is a great amenity but I wish
it had fewer restrictions on operating hours and expanded food and take out services and
drinks.
Question 10: I would not like to see any of the housing choices listed in the city of Medina.
The question did not allow me to rank all choices with a zero.
No
Ensuring rental property or unoccupied houses are maintained. Ensure yards are well
maintained. We have too many where the grass isn’t cut and bushes cover the sidewalks
I believe Medina building guidelines are antiquated and should be updated to current
residents wants and more in line with national building guidelines.
The property taxes are exorbitant and are forcing long time residents to sell their homes.
There are also too many empty, unkempt homes on some streets, most likely foreign
investors parking money in the land. Not a great place to live anymore. Resident since 1965.
No
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It seems like the author of these questions has a social and political agenda which is
inappropriate when attempting to conduct an honest and unbiased survey.
Make sure peo
I would support more flexibility to have ADUs limited to less that 1,000 sf with mandatory off
street parking as a solution to provide more housing options in the community
I support requiring ADU’s on larger properties as a form of private extra housing opportunities
for people working for Medina families
These are tough questions especially for a community like Medina that has limited buildable
land
The most acceptable way to add to housing in Medina is to allow ADUs. Seems least
impactful on the nature of our small town.
Medina City Government should focus on maintaining and improving public safety including
roadways, powerlines, and landscape. We need to support our police. We need to make
sure that residents do not have onerous rules placed on them in regard to their property as
long as the natural beauty and charm of our town is preserved. We need to maintain the local
gathering places for all ages, including the park, post office, and green store. And the
landlord of the green store should not be "holding hostage" any of her tenants, ever by taking
advantage of them and placing unfair burdens upon them. The green store has a legacy and
tradition of being a local favorite, that makes every resident feel welcomed, provides a place
for local workers to eat, local school children to gather with friends, and provides a local place
to buy necessities. The current tenants "saved" our community during Covid by providing the
consistency, kindness, and care that our older residents need. Medina is a town that is kind
and welcoming to everyone who lives there. It is a great place to live and one that we have
called home for over 25 years.
Keep Medina as it is. No need to build affordable housing, shelter, or others
The number of homes that are bought but not occupied
Please do not change this wonderful community.
There are sufficient social service options in area, including low income housing, shelter, etc.
Multi family options will mean even bigger houses, already an issue. High valuations and
onerous property taxes the real problem
Maintain the status quo (basically single-family dwellings). Multi-family dwellings would
change the nature of the city. Town-houses are OK if they are in the high-end price range
such as the development abutting the golf course on NE 12th.
There is no place like Medina to live and raise a family. I appreciate looking at making it more
affordable inc for families. Thank you.
Property taxes are the biggest issue increasing unaffordable housing.
There are lots of places to live. Medina may not be a fit for everyone.
Stronger ordinance to dissuade cutting down of older firs.
Ordinance as to approval of style of home for new construction.
The current modern homes are not traditional NW homes and eye sore.
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Medina is a small community, and does not need to support the services appropriate for a
larger city. Residents of Medina accept a high barrier to entry, in exchange for a secure
environment. Plans for Medina should respect the existing culture of the town, rather than try
to adjust its environment toward area medians.
Not concerned about housing for people who want to move into Medina but can't afford to live
here. I'm more concerned about older people who have lived in the city for decades but the
property taxes are causing them financial hardship.
Taxes are too high and there appears to be waste in spending. Rebate or reduce taxes!
1. Sidewalks along all streets.
2. _Proper_ street lighting for safe walking and to discourage illegal activity.
I don't have a problem with more affordable housing, but I am not a fan of providing housing
for people with drug addictions or emotional problems, like a halfway house.
I am strongly opposed to changes in zoning and density in medina.
Medina is not for everyone, this is what market decides and this is why people moves here.
To make worse is not the solution. However, taking care of existing house senior owners are
something we should do, just like any community. It is different from making medina everyone
can afford or come. Good goal but not by making medina worse - against the reason why
people move here.
Supportive housing if required by WA State should be at least 600 feet from schools.
Please also for subdivison of lots so we can build up more in Medina. The time for change is
now.
Make sure people live here is safe. Exclude homeless from Medina.
No
The thought of turning Medina Clyde Hill or the east side west of 405 into a low income
neighborhood it’s just about one of the worst ideas I’ve heard. Many people worked hard and
smart to get to where they are today or maybe it was just an accident but whatever it is it is
their prerogative to live in an upscale neighborhood w/out Converting the area into low
income housing. Ridiculous. How much is Val is Dell Constantine buying the Quinta twice
it’s worth and making it to a homeless shelter along with numerous other locations. Very bad
decisions and making people pay they shouldn’t have to.
no
Should update city code limit to allow bigger houses that can host bigger or multi-families.
The current limit of height and distance to boundary lines are very tough.
What really makes Medina unaffordable is the property taxes. This includes all the frivolous
levies that King County slips by us, as well as, the school district levies. Property taxes are
onerous!
I we allow multifamily units I would like to see them added in a way that maintains the
"wooded" feel. I really dislike some of the recent concrete monsters with no vegetation
between the house and the street
The town should consider rules to limit the size of houses. Current rules allow houses that
are way too big and developers build to the absolute maximum to extract maximum profits.
Not at this time
Needs & solutions should not be considered in a city vacuum, we're next to 3 other small
towns/city plus Bellevue services and should work together if there is a demonstrated need.
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MEDINA HOUSING ACTION PLAN PUBLIC OUTREACH SUMMARY
21 | Page
I RESIST, and want my city to RESIST the mandates from outsiders demanding that the
character of my town be changed. Medina is a small town that is not right nor affordable for
everybody. This is a normal phenomenon and is not suddenly an invented problem. The
changes being proposed are practically guaranteed to degrade the quality of life for current
residents, causing people to move out. Current residents are your constituents, and inventing
a new high density market is not in your constituents interests. Downtown Bellevue is
showing signs of adopting Seattle's insane problems, is Medina next? Not if you resist it from
happening.
Question 10 did not give you an option of disagreeing with the statement that there exist a
growing need for housing in Medina. Or that accommodation for housing needs is a given.
The way that question is designed any one of the options given will appear to be a “like to
see” from the survey respondent which may not be true.
Medina homes are becoming so large and so expensive that I couldnt even move to another
home in the neighborhood. My children will not be able to live here either, unless they find an
incredible job. We are being priced out by out of country buyers, buyers buying homes that
are left empty or then rented, etc. The community feel is dwindling. This is extremely evident
in Clyde Hill too.
Medina is such a small town, adjacent to the larger bellevue where there are many housing
options at varying price points. I’m not sure putting in apartments or multi-family housing is a
great solution given our city is tiny. We aren’t large enough to make a meaningful impact on
the housing issues effecting most of bellevue right now. There just isn’t enough space to
really impact housing prices with affordable housing options. We would need a lot of
apartments to offset the high cost of housing here.
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MEDINA HOUSING ACTION PLAN PUBLIC OUTREACH SUMMARY
22 | Page
Appendix E: Survey Questionnaire
(attach PDF copy to final- found in I:\Projects\21-298\Public Engagement\Survey Results)
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
WRITTEN BY:
MICHELLE BLANKAS , PLANNER II
CYRUS OSWALD, PLANNE R I
EDITED BY:
ANDY MCANDREWS, DIRE CTOR OF PLANNING
CAITLIN HEPWORTH, AS SOCIATE PLANNER
DRAFT - Housing Policy Framework
Review
City of Medina
Prepared by: Blueline
February 3, 2023
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
2
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 3
Background and Purpose ..................................................................................................... 3
Relationship Between the Comprehensive Plan and the HAP .................................... 3
Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 4
Organization of Report ......................................................................................................... 4
GROWTH TARGET EVALUATION .................................................................................................... 5
Housing Targets and Growth .............................................................................................. 5
Housing Permits ......................................................................................................................... 5
Existing Housing Gaps........................................................................................................... 5
Future Housing Gaps ............................................................................................................. 7
POLICY EVALUATION ...................................................................................................................... 9
Housing Policy Consistency Review ................................................................................. 10
Implementation Evaluation ............................................................................................... 31
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INTRODUCTION
Background and Purpose
The Housing Action Plan (HAP) was developed by the City of Medina with support from the Washington
State Department of Commerce’s House Bill 1923, which enacted grant funding for cities to complete
actions to support development of more affordable housing. Medina received grant funding in 2021 to
complete the HAP1, Housing Needs Assessment (HNA), Public Engagement Summary, and Housing
Policy Framework Review to understand existing housing conditions and strains, local concerns and
needs, and prepare targeted strategies to address Medina’s unique needs.
The purpose of this policy framework review is to evaluate the current City of Medina Comprehensive
Plan Housing Element to determine the City’s progress and success in attaining planned housing types
and units, achievement of goals and polices, and implementation of the schedule of programs and
actions. This review will inform potential strategies in the future Housing Action Plan. This document
also reviews Comprehensive Plan Elements that are related to housing, as well as regulatory incentives
and barriers.
Relationship Between the Comprehensive Plan and the HAP
The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires each city in Washington to develop a
Comprehensive Plan to prepare for anticipated growth in population, jobs, and housin g. The
Comprehensive Plan is required to have a Housing Element that addresses the GMA’s housing
goal of “encourage[ing] the availability of affordable housing to all economic segments of the
population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and
encourage the preservation of existing housing stock”. The GMA has other specific
requirements (RCW 36.70A.030 ) to plan for housing, including:
(1)Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services
exist, or can be provided in an efficient manner.
(2) Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling, low-density
development.
(12) Ensure that those public facilities and services necessary to support development
shall be adequate to serve the development at the time the development is available for
occupancy and use without decreasing current service levels below locally established
minimum standards
Each city’s Comprehensive Plan must align their elemental policies with the regional policies
developed by Puget Sound Regional Council and King County. While regional policies inform
1 Data presented in the HAP was informed by the HNA. The HNA uses ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2020 OFM Estimates,
PSRC, King County, and HUD CHAS data.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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how the city develops their housing element policies, local needs and gaps are also
incorporated into goals and policies to specify the actional strategies and considerations
reflective of the city.
Methodology
The report was prepared by conducting a review of the city’s Comprehensive Plan Housing
Element policies against the revised policies from Puget Sound Regional Council and King
County Countywide Planning Policies to determine where existing gaps or partial gaps in policy
are. The report also examines whether existing housing regulations and their effectiveness on
developing new housing units by evaluating the number of relative units developed from 2015
to 2022.
Organization of Report
This report is organized by and comprised of three different sections:
Growth Target Evaluation: Is the city on track to meet the 2044 housing projections? A
summary of how the HAP and Comprehensive Plan are interrelated and how Medina is
performing.
Housing Policy Consistency Review: Do the city’s housing element policies align with
the current PSRC and King County policies? This section conducts a Comprehensive Plan
housing policy consistency analysis to identify existing gaps and how current policies
should be revised to align with recommended HAP strategies and actions.
Implementation Analysis: Are there regulatory opportunities or barriers to achieving
goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan? An overview of the City’s housing
development performance between 2015 through 2022 and implementation
considerations that will determine the feasibility of recommended actions.
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5
GROWTH TARGET EVALUATION
Housing Targets and Growth
King County has distributed housing targets in consultation with cities for their overall
projections for housing. The City of Medina’s 2044 housing target is 19 housing units2 in
addition to the 2021 housing total of 1,132 units3. A cumulative total of 1,151 housing units are
needed by 2044 to accommodate anticipated growth. Between 2010 and 2021, the City has lost
33 units with an annual average decrease of 2.75 units per year. To achieve its growth target, the
City will need to add one to two units per year through 2044. The average household size in
Medina is 2.73 persons.4 Applying this household size to the remaining housing target, the
population would increase by about 52 people if the 2044 growth targets are met.
Exhibit 1. Housing Change 2010 – 2044
INSERT FIGURE
Source: OFM, 2022; King County Urban Growth Capacity Report, 2022.
Housing Permits
Between 2010 and 2021, Medina has produced XX new housing units. All permits issued for
residential projects were only for single-family housing. There are no records of any other forms
of housing being developed between 2010 through 2021.
Exhibit 2. Housing Permits 2010-2021
INSERT FIGURE
Source: XXXXXXXXXXX
Existing Housing Gaps
New GMA requirements for housing were adopted in late 2021 under House Bill 1220 (HB1220)
requiring the housing element to accommodate and plan for housing needs in each income
band. Household income is used to analyze a city’s income distribution and its relationship to
housing affordability through Area Median Family Income (AMI). The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines AMI by the following income bands:
Extremely Low Income: <30% AMI
2 King County Urban Growth Capacity Report, 2021.
3 OFM, 2021.
4 OFM, 2020.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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Very Low Income: 30-50 % AMI
Low Income: 50-80% AMI
Moderate Income: 80-100 % AMI
Above Median Income: >100% AMI
The AMI is used to measure the relative affordability of housing units based on the above
income bands. Income limits to qualify for housing are often set relative to AMI. The HUD
determines housing affordability by measuring if households are spending less than 30 percent
of their income on housing. If households are spending more than 30 percent of income on
housing, they are determined to be “cost burdened”. Households need remaining income to
afford other essentials, such as food, transportation, utilities, childcare, healthcare, and clothing.
If households are spending more 50 percent of income on housing, the HUD metric labels the
household as “severely cost burdened”. Exhibit 3 describes the different income bands that
currently exist within Medina and whether these income bands are cost burdened or severely
cost burdened. Exhibit 4 is a breakdown of Medina’s AMI between owners and renters. Both
exhibits indicate that there is an overproduction of housing suitable for above median income
households and a lack of housing affordable to every income band. Exhibit 5 describes the gaps
in housing affordable to each income level. The mismatches display how the affordability of
housing units is inconsistent with what households can afford. If households are unable to find
housing that is affordable to them, they are likely to be experiencing cost-burdens.
Exhibit 3. Households by Income Level and Cost-Burden Status
Source: HUD CHAS, 2014-2018 ACS 5-year Estimate.
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Exhibit 4 Cost Burdens for Owners and Renters
Source: HUD CHAS, 2014-2018 ACS 5-year Estimate.
Exhibit 5. Housing Gap by Income
Source: HUD CHAS, 2014-2018 ACS 5-year Estimate.
Future Housing Gaps
Exhibit 6 evaluates how the existing supply gap is projected to change by 2044 for each income
levels and for which types of units production should be prioritized to meet the countywide
needs based on the city’s future population. More units are needed across the low-income
ranges, and the sizable surplus in the moderate income and above range is not expected to get
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much smaller. By 2044, more rental units will be necessary for all economic segments of the
population. Special attention will be needed to fill the gap in rental units for extremely low- and
very low-income households through the provision of income-restricted units.
Exhibit 6. Future Housing Gap by Income
Source: OFM, 2020; 2014-2018 ACS 5-year estimates; 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates; PSRC, 2019; HUD CHASE; King
County Buildable Lands Report, 2021.
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POLICY EVALUATION
The Medina Comprehensive Plan Housing element evaluation is an assessment of the City’s
housing policies from the 2015 Comprehensive Plan update. The policy evaluation demonstrates
how the Housing Action Plan’s objectives align with current policies and where there are policy
gaps supporting recommended action. Additionally, the review identifies how Puget Sound
Regional County and King County Countywide Policies align with Medina’s housing policies and
if there are any consistency policy gaps or partial gaps.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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Housing Policy Consistency Review
Vision 2050 Housing
Policy and Chapter
Implementing King
Countywide Planning Policy
City Comprehensive Plan
Policy implementing the
new or revised policy?
Suggested Actions Aligning HAP Action or
Suggested Actions
MPP-H-1
Plan for housing supply,
forms, and densities to
meet the region’s current
and projected needs
consistent with the
Regional Growth Strategy
and to make significant
progress towards
jobs/housing balance.
DP-12
GMPC shall allocate housing
and employment growth to
each city and urban
unincorporated area in the
county. This allocation is
predicated on:
a) Accommodating the most
recent 20-year population
projection from the state
Office of Financial
Management and the most
recent 20- year regional
employment forecast from
the Puget Sound Regional
Council, informed by the 20-
year projection of housing
units from the state
Department of Commerce;
b) Planning for a pattern of
growth that is consistent
with the Regional Growth
Strategy including focused
growth within cities and
Potential Annexation Areas
with designated centers and
within high-capacity transit
station areas, limited
development in the Rural
Policy Gap
H-P3 The City shall seek to
maintain the informal single
family character of its
neighborhoods, including
precenting the intrusion of
non-residential activities
H-P8 The City shall
explore additional
affordable housing
options that are
compatible with the City’s
high-quality residential
setting.
It is recommended that
this policy should be
relocated to the Land Use
chapter since it describes
regulating residential
neighborhood character
and non-residential
activities.
It is recommended this
policy is revised into a
goal. Subsequent policies
should have specific,
actionable elements that
address how the city will
attain more affordable
housing forms. A
recommended policy
would be developing
Action A.1.2 Upzoning
Action A.1.5 Reduce
Minimum Lot Sizes
Action A.2.6 Live/Work
Units
Action B.2.5 Short-term
Rentals
Action A.1.1 Infill
Development
Action A.1.2 Upzoning
Action A.1.3 Density Bonus
Action A.1.5 Reduce
Minimum Lot Sizes
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
11
Area, and protection of
designated Natural Resource
Lands;
c) Efficiently using existing
zoned and future planned
development capacity as
well as the capacity of
existing and planned
infrastructure, including
sewer, water, and
stormwater systems;
d) Promoting a land use
pattern that can be served
by a connected network of
public transportation
services and facilities and
pedestrian and bicycle
infrastructure and amenities;
e) Improving jobs/housing
balance consistent with the
Regional Growth Strategy,
both between counties in
the region and within
subareas in the county;
f) Promoting opportunities
for housing and employment
throughout the Urban
Growth Area and within all
jurisdictions in a manner
that ensures racial and social
equity;
housing for each income
band. Equitable housing
development by income
band is required and will
be difficult to achieve
through SFR development
only.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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g) Allocating growth to
Potential Annexation Areas
within the urban
unincorporated area
proportionate to their share
of unincorporated capacity
for housing and employment
growth; and
h) Allocating growth based
on the amount of net new
housing needed to plan for
and accommodate an
equitable distribution of
housing choices across all
jurisdictions that is
affordable to all economic
segments of the population
of the county, as provided by
the Department of
Commerce.
DP-13
The Growth Management
Planning Council shall:
a) Update housing and
employment growth targets
and housing needs
periodically to provide
jurisdictions with up-to-date
growth allocations to be
used as the land use
assumption in state-
mandated comprehensive
plan updates;
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b) Adopt housing and
employment growth targets
and housing needs in the
Countywide Planning Policies
pursuant to the procedure
described in policy FW-1;
c) Create a coordinated
countywide process to
reconcile and set growth
targets that implements the
Regional Growth Strategy
through countywide shares
of regional housing and job
growth, countywide shares
of statewide housing needs,
allocations to Regional
Geographies, and individual
jurisdictional growth targets;
d) Ensure that each
jurisdiction’s growth targets
and housing need are
commensurate with their
role in the Regional Growth
Strategy by establishing a set
of objective criteria and
principles to guide how
jurisdictional targets and
housing needs are
determined;
e) Ensure that each
jurisdiction’s growth targets
allow it to meet the need for
housing affordable to
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
14
households with moderate-,
low-, very low-, and
extremely low-incomes;
f) Adjust targets and housing
needs administratively upon
annexation of
unincorporated Potential
Annexation Areas by cities.
Growth targets for the
planning period are shown in
Table DP-1. Net new housing
needs for the planning
period are shown in Tables
H-1 and total projected
housing needs are shown in
Table H-2.
DP- 14 All jurisdictions shall
accommodate housing and
employment by:
a) Using the adopted growth
targets as the land use
assumption for their
comprehensive plan;
b) Establishing local growth
targets for regional growth
centers and regional
manufacturing/industrial
centers, where applicable;
c) Ensuring adopted
comprehensive plans and
zoning regulations provide
sufficient capacity at
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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appropriate densities for
residential, commercial, and
industrial uses that is
sufficient to meet 20-year
growth targets, allocated
housing needs, and is
consistent with the desired
growth pattern described in
VISION 2050;
d) Ensuring adopted local
water, sewer,
transportation, utility, and
other infrastructure plans
and investments, including
special purpose district
plans, are consistent in
location and timing with
adopted targets as well as
regional and countywide
plans; and
e) Transferring and
accommodating
unincorporated area housing
and employment targets and
housing need as annexations
occur.
MPP-H-2
Provide a range of
housing types and choices
to meet the housing
needs of all income levels
and demographic groups
within the region.
H-1
Plan for and accommodate
the jurisdiction’s allocated
share of countywide future
housing needs for moderate-
, low-, very low- and
extremely low-income
households as well as
Policy Gap
H-P10 The City shall
assure that zoning does
not unduly restrict group
homes or other housing
There are elements of the
existing policies that
partially fulfill providing a
range of housing types
and choices for different
demographic groups in
Action A.2.1 Duplex
Action A.2.2 Townhome
Action A.2.3 Triplex
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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emergency housing,
emergency shelters, and
permanent supportive
housing. Projected
countywide and
jurisdictional net new
housing needed to reach
projected future need for
the planning period is shown
in Table H-1.
options for persons with
special needs by making
reasonable
accommodations in its
rules, policies, practices,
and services, when such
accommodations may be
necessary, to afford
persons with disabilities
equal opportunity to use
or enjoy a dwelling
H-P11 The City shall
permit group living
situations that meet the
definition of “family
status”, including receive
such supportive services
as counseling, foster care,
or medical supervision,
within a single family
house
the city. Policy H-P9, H-
P10, and H-P11 all grant
regulatory flexibility in
accommodating
households including
persons with disability. It
is recommended that the
city consider increasing
the diversity of allowable
housing typologies to
fulfill a wider pool of
housing needs
A full gap exists in terms
of planning housing at
every income band in the
city. A new set of goals
and policies are
recommended to address
housing allocation needs
for each income band.
Action A.2.4 Fourplex
Action A.2.5 Cottages
Action A.2.6 Live/Work
Units
Action C.1.2 Inclusionary
Zoning
MPP-H-5
Promote homeownership
opportunities for low-
income, moderate-income,
and middle-income families
and individuals while
recognizing historic
inequities in access to
homeownership
opportunities for
communities of color.
H-6
Document the local history
of racially exclusive and
discriminatory land use and
housing practices, consistent
with local and regional fair
housing reports and other
resources. Explain the extent
to which that history is still
reflected in current
development patterns,
housing conditions, tenure,
and access to opportunity.
Identify local policies and
There is no language in
the Comprehensive Plan
or the housing element’s
goals and policies
regarding historic racial
inequities.
There is no recognition of
discriminatory practices
or racial exclusivity of the
community. It is
recommended that a
significant budget in the
2024 Comp Plan is
No Aligning Actions
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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regulations that result in
racially disparate impacts,
displacement, and exclusion
in housing, including zoning
that may have a
discriminatory effect,
disinvestment, and
infrastructure availability.
Demonstrate how current
strategies are addressing
impacts of those racially
exclusive and discriminatory
policies and practices. The
County will support
jurisdictions in identifying
and compiling resources to
support this analysis.
H-19
Lower barriers to and
promote access to
affordable homeownership
for extremely low-, very low-
, and low—income,
households. Emphasize:
a) Supporting long-term
affordable homeownership
opportunities for households
at or below 80 percent AMI
(which may require up-front
initial public subsidy and
policies that support diverse
housing types); and
b) Remedying historical
inequities in and expanding
access to homeownership
dedicated to a racial
equity study to
understand the impacts
that historic regulations
have had on communities
of color abilities to live in
Medina.
It is recommended a goal
is developed around
addressing racial equity
and housing in the City.
There is also no language
on promoting
opportunities for
homeownership at below
median (80-100%) AMI
levels. However, Medina
is part of the ARCH
program and contributes
resources to affordable
housing development, as
described in Policy H-P5,
H-P6, and H-P7. However,
Medina’s participation in
ARCH does not preclude
the city’s ability to
encourage more low-
income housing
developments that grant
Action B.1.1 Direct
Household Assistance
Action B.1.3 Preservation
and Rehabilitation
Incentives
Action C.1.1 Affordability
Covenants
Action C.1.2 Inclusionary
Zoning
Action C.1.3 Down Payment
Assistance
Action C.2.1 Credit
Enhancement
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
18
opportunities for Black,
Indigenous and People of
Color communities.
H-20
Adopt and implement
policies that address gaps in
partnerships, policies, and
dedicated resources to
eliminate racial and other
disparities in access to
housing and neighborhoods
of choice.
more homeownership
opportunities to residents
earning less than 60% AMI
(low, very low, extremely
low income). It is
recommended that
policies are adopted that
address gaps in
homeownership
affordability.
Action C.2.3 Alternative
Homeownership Models
Action C.2.5 Permit Fee
Waivers for Affordable
Housing
MPP-H-6
Develop and provide a
range of housing choices
for workers at all income
levels throughout the
region that is accessible to
job centers and attainable
to workers at anticipated
wages.
H-15
Increase housing choices for
everyone, particularly those
earning lower wages, that is
co-located with, accessible
to, or within a reasonable
commute to major
employment centers and
affordable to all income
levels. Ensure there are
zoning ordinances and
development regulations in
place that allow and
encourage housing
production at levels that
improve jobs housing
balance throughout the
county across all income
levels
Partial Gap
H-P8 The City shall
explore additional
affordable housing
options that are
compatible with the City’s
high-quality residential
setting.
Policy H-P8 implies that
more affordable housing
options compatible with
single family housing are
explored. It is
recommended this policy
is revised into a goal.
Subsequent policies
should have specific,
actionable elements that
address how the city will
attain more affordable
housing forms. A
recommended policy
would be developing
housing for each income
band. Equitable housing
development by income
band is required and will
be difficult to achieve
through SFR development
only.
Action A.1.2 Upzoning
Action A.1.3 Density Bonus
Action A.1.5 Reduce
Minimum Lot Sizes
Action A.2.1 Duplex
Action A.2.2 Townhome
Action A.2.3 Triplex
Action A.2.4 Fourplex
Action A.2.5 Cottages
Action A.2.6 Live/Work
Units
Action C.1.2 Inclusionary
Zoning
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
19
It should be noted that
Medina’s job/housing
balance will not be
feasible because the city
is built out. However,
Medina is located along
transit routes that
connect to Seattle and
Bellevue, which are major
employment centers.
Action C.2.2 Local Programs
to Help Build Missing
Middle Housing
MPP-H-7
Expand the supply and range
of housing at densities to
maximize the benefits of
transit investments, including
affordable units, in growth
centers and station areas
throughout the region.
H-16
Expand the supply and range
of housing types, including
affordable units, at densities
sufficient to maximize the
benefits of transit
investments throughout the
county.
H-17
Support the development
and preservation of income-
restricted affordable housing
that is within walking
distance to planned or
existing high-capacity and
frequent transit.
Policy Gap
Washington State defines
“major transit stop” as:
1. A stop on a high
capacity transportation
system funded
2. Commuter rail stops
3. Stops on rail or fixed
guideway systems,
including
transitways
4. Stops on bus rapid
transit routes or routes
that run on high
occupancy vehicle lanes;
5. Stops for a bus or other
transit mode providing
actual fixed route service
at intervals of at least
fifteen minutes for at
least five hours during the
peak hours of operation
on weekdays.
Action A.1.2 Upzoning
Action A.1.3 Density Bonus
Action A.1.5 Reduce
Minimum Lot Sizes
Action A.2.1 Duplex
Action A.2.2 Townhome
Action A.2.3 Triplex
Action A.2.4 Fourplex
Action A.2.5 Cottages
Action A.2.6 Live/Work
Units
Action C.1.2 Inclusionary
Zoning
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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Portions of the city fall
into the quarter mile
parking exemption due to
proximity of the
Evergreen Point Station. It
is recommended that
policies are implemented
that encourage higher
density development near
transit centers.
Action B.1.3 Preservation
and Rehabilitation
Incentives
Action C.1.1 Affordability
Covenants
MPP-H-8
Promote the development
and preservation of long-
term affordable housing
options in walking distance to
transit by implementing
zoning, regulations, and
incentives.
H-17
Support the development
and preservation of income-
restricted affordable housing
that is within walking
distance to planned or
existing high-capacity and
frequent transit.
Policy Gap
Washington State defines
“major transit stop” as:
1. A stop on a high
capacity transportation
system funded
2. Commuter rail stops
3. Stops on rail or fixed
guideway systems,
including
transitways
4. Stops on bus rapid
transit routes or routes
that run on high
occupancy vehicle lanes;
5. Stops for a bus or other
transit mode providing
actual fixed route service
at intervals of at least
fifteen minutes for at
least five hours during the
peak hours of operation
on weekdays.
Action A.1.2 Upzoning
Action A.1.3 Density Bonus
Action B.1.1 Direct
Household Assistance
Action B.1.3 Preservation
and Rehabilitation
Incentives
Action C.1.1 Affordability
Covenants
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Portions of the city fall
into the quarter mile
parking exemption due to
proximity of the
Evergreen Point Station. It
is recommended that
policies are implemented
that encourage higher
density development near
transit centers.
Specifically, parking
reductions should be
offered for units
affordable and within a
quarter mile of Evergreen
Point.
MPP-H-9
Expand housing capacity for
moderate density housing to
bridge the gap between
single-family and more
intensive multifamily
development and provide
opportunities for more
affordable ownership and
rental housing that allows
more people to live in
neighborhoods across the
region.
H-18
Adopt inclusive planning
tools and policies whose
purpose is to increase the
ability of all residents in
jurisdictions throughout the
county to live in the
neighborhood of their
choice, reduce disparities in
access to opportunity areas,
and meet the needs of the
region’s current and future
residents by:
a) Providing access to
affordable housing to rent
and own throughout the
jurisdiction, with a focus on
areas of high opportunity;
b) Expanding capacity for
Partial Gap
H-P2 The City shall
consider ways to restrict
the size of homes in order
to retain the character of
the community
Policy H-P2 somewhat
addresses the need for
moderate density housing
by limiting the size of
homes. Similarly, Policy H-
P12 discourages lot
aggregation to reduce the
loss of households on
smaller lots. However,
there is no language to
provide more options
within the city, owned or
rented. It is
recommended target
policies to encourage or
incentivize middle housing
or moderate density
Action A.1.2 Upzoning
Action A.1.3 Density Bonus
Action A.1.5 Reduce
Minimum Lot Sizes
Action A.2.1 Duplex
Action A.2.2 Townhome
Action A.2.3 Triplex
Action A.2.4 Fourplex
Action A.2.5 Cottages
Action A.2.6 Live/Work
Units
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moderate-density housing
throughout the jurisdiction,
especially in areas currently
zoned for lower density
single-family detached
housing in the Urban Growth
Area, and capacity for high-
density housing, where
appropriate, consistent with
the Regional Growth
Strategy;
c) Evaluating the feasibility
of, and implementing, where
appropriate, inclusionary
and incentive zoning to
provide affordable housing;
and
d) Providing access to
housing types that serve a
range of household sizes,
types, and incomes,
including 2+ bedroom homes
for families with children
and/or adult roommates and
accessory dwelling units,
efficiency studios, and/or
congregate residences for
single adults.
housing within the city’s
limits.
Action B.2.4 Multifamily Tax
Exemption
Action C.1.2 Inclusionary
Zoning
Action C.2.2 Local Programs
to Help Build Missing
Middle Housing
MPP-H-10
Encourage jurisdictions to
review and streamline
development standards and
regulations to advance their
public benefit, provide
H-13
Implement strategies to
overcome cost barriers to
housing affordability.
Strategies to do this vary but
can include updating
development standards and
regulations, shortening
Policy Gap
It is recommended
policies are crafted
identifying incentives,
development standards,
and permitting flexibilities
to projects that support
A.1.4 Fee Waivers or
Reductions
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23
flexibility, and minimize
additional costs to housing.
permit timelines,
implementing online
permitting, optimizing
residential densities,
reducing parking
requirements, and
developing programs,
policies, partnerships, and
incentives to decrease costs
to build and preserve
affordable housing.
affordable housing
development.
MPP-H-12
Identify potential physical,
economic, and cultural
displacement of low- income
households and marginalized
populations that may result
from planning, public
investments, private
redevelopment and market
pressure. Use a range of
strategies to mitigate
displacement impacts to the
extent feasible.
H-6
Document the local history
of racially exclusive and
discriminatory land use and
housing practices, consistent
with local and regional fair
housing reports and other
resources. Explain the extent
to which that history is still
reflected in current
development patterns,
housing conditions, tenure,
and access to opportunity.
Identify local policies and
regulations that result in
racially disparate impacts,
displacement, and exclusion
in housing, including zoning
that may have a
discriminatory effect,
disinvestment, and
infrastructure availability.
Demonstrate how current
strategies are addressing
Policy Gap
There is no language in
the Comprehensive Plan
or the housing element’s
goals and policies
regarding historic racial
inequities.
There is no recognition of
discriminatory practices
or racial exclusivity of the
community. It is
recommended that a
significant budget in the
2024 Comp Plan is
dedicated to a racial
equity study to
understand the impacts
that historic regulations
have had on communities
of color abilities to live in
Medina. The report would
inform the best policies,
resources, and regulations
that should be considered
No Aligning Actions
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24
impacts of those racially
exclusive and discriminatory
policies and practices. The
County will support
jurisdictions in identifying
and compiling resources to
support this analysis.
H-20
Adopt and implement
policies that address gaps in
partnerships, policies, and
dedicated resources to
eliminate racial and other
disparities in access to
housing and neighborhoods
of choice.
to encourage equity in
housing in Medina.
It is recommended a goal
is developed around
addressing racial equity
and housing in the City
H-Action-4(Local)
Local Housing Needs:
Counties and cities will
conduct a housing needs
analysis and evaluate the
effectiveness of local housing
policies and strategies to
achieve housing targets and
affordability goals to support
updates to local
comprehensive plans.
Analysis of housing
opportunities with access to
jobs and transportation
options will aid review of
total household costs.
H-4
Conduct an inventory and
analysis in each jurisdiction
of existing and projected
housing needs of all
segments of the population
and summarize the findings
in the housing element. The
inventory and analysis shall
include:
A. The number of existing
and projected housing units
necessary to plan for and
accommodate projected
growth and meet the
projected housing needs
Partial Gap
The City conducted a
Housing Needs
Assessment in 2021 as
part of the Housing Action
Plan efforts. A Housing
Needs Assessment will be
updated to reflect 2021
census data and current
projections for income
bands, which were not
available at the time of
this report (January,
2023).
It is recommended a
policy is added to the
No Aligning Actions
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articulated in Tables H-1 and
H-2, including:
1. Permanent housing
needs, which includes units
for moderate-, low-, very
low-, and extremely low-
income households and
permanent supportive
housing
2. Emergency housing needs,
which includes emergency
housing and emergency
shelters;
B. Number of existing
housing units by housing
type, age, number of
bedrooms, condition,
tenure, and area median
income limit (for income-
restricted units);
C. Number of existing
emergency housing,
emergency shelters, and
permanent supportive
housing facilities and units or
beds, as applicable;
D. Percentage and
geographic distribution
of residential land zoned
for moderate- and high-
density housing and
accessory dwelling units
report to monitor and
track how the city
performs over the next 10
years in meeting it’s
housing targets for
consistency.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
26
in the jurisdiction;
E. Number of income-
restricted units and,
where feasible, total
number of units, within
a half-mile walkshed of
high-capacity or
frequent transit service
where applicable and
regional and
countywide centers;
F. Household characteristics,
by race/ethnicity:
1.Income (median and by
area median income bracket)
2.Tenure (renter or
homeowner)
3. Size
4.Housing cost burden and
severe housing cost burden;
G.Current population
characteristics:
1. Age by race/ethnicity;
2.Disability;
H. Projected population
growth;
H. Housing
development
capacity within a
half-mile walkshed
of high-capacity or
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
27
frequent transit
service, if applicable;
J. Ratio of housing to jobs in
the jurisdiction;
K. Summary of existing and
proposed partnerships and
strategies, including
dedicated resources, for
meeting housing needs,
particularly for populations
disparately impacted;
L. The housing needs of
people who need supportive
services or accessible units,
including but not limited to
people experiencing
homelessness, persons with
disabilities, people with
medical conditions, and
older adults;
M. The housing needs of
communities experiencing
disproportionate harm of
housing inequities including
Black, Indigenous, and
People of Color; and to
advance
N. Areas in the
jurisdiction that may be
at higher risk of
displacement from
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
28
market forces that
occur with changes to
zoning development
regulations and public
capital investments.
H-5- Evaluate the
effectiveness of existing
housing policies and
strategies to meet the
jurisdiction’s housing needs.
Identify gaps in existing
partnerships, policies, and
dedicated resources for
meeting housing needs and
eliminating racial and other
disparities in access to
housing and neighborhoods
of choice.
No Aligning Action
H-Action-5(Local)
Affordable Housing
Incentives: As counties
and cities plan for and
create additional housing
capacity consistent with
the Regional Growth
Strategy, evaluate
techniques such as
inclusionary and incentive
zoning to provide
affordability.
H-18
Adopt inclusive planning
tools and policies whose
purpose is to increase the
ability of all residents in
jurisdictions throughout the
county to live in the
neighborhood of their
choice, reduce disparities in
access to opportunity areas,
and meet the needs of the
region’s current and future
residents by:
Policy Gap
It is recommended
policies are developed to
encourage a better
distribution of housing
forms and affordability’s,
with an emphasis on
rental housing.
Action A.1.3 Density Bonus
Action A.1.4 Fee Waivers or
Reductions
Action B.2.4 Multifamily Tax
Exemption
Action C.1.2 Inclusionary
Zoning
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
29
a) Providing access to
affordable housing to rent
and own throughout the
jurisdiction, with a focus on
areas of high opportunity;
b) Expanding capacity for
moderate-density housing
throughout the jurisdiction,
especially in areas currently
zoned for lower density
single-family detached
housing in the Urban Growth
Area, and capacity for high-
density housing, where
appropriate, consistent with
the Regional Growth
Strategy;
c) Evaluating the feasibility
of, and implementing, where
appropriate, inclusionary
and incentive zoning to
provide affordable housing;
and
d) Providing access to
housing types that serve a
range of household sizes,
types, and incomes,
including 2+ bedroom homes
for families with children
and/or adult roommates and
accessory dwelling units,
efficiency studios, and/or
congregate residences for
single adults.
Action C.2.4 Strategic
Marketing of Housing
Incentives
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
31
Implementation Evaluation
The purpose of the evaluation is to analyze the effectiveness of Medina’s current housing policies by understanding the impact the
2015 policy had on housing development between 2015 to 2022. The following table lists the polices in the Housing Element,
implementation status, success indicators and measurable outcomes, and recommendations to enhance success or realign with the
Housing Action Plan.
Goals/Policies Implementation Success
Indicators
Outcomes Recommendations
H-G1 The City shall preserve and foster housing development consistent with Medina’s high-quality residential setting.
H-G2 The City shall explore affordable housing opportunities.
H-P1
The City shall minimize
changes to existing
zoning designations
except as to meet above
goals when deemed
necessary by citizens.
Minimal zoning changes
except to meet Housing
Goals H-G1 and H-G2
The number of
zone changes that
occurred between
2015 and 2022.
Ordinance No. 1017
Relating to Land Use
and Zoning
Ordinance No. 1008
Ordinance No. 1002
Ordinance No. 1001
Ordinance No. 997
Ordinance No. 979
Ordinance No. 969
Ordinance No. 932
Zoning changes were made to accommodate goals
deemed necessary by citizens or required by State. To
better align with the goals and strategies laid out in
the Housing Action Plan, PSRC. and King County
County-wide Policies, it is recommended that H-P1 is
modified to become a land use policy.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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H-P2
The City shall consider
ways to restrict the size
of homes in order to
retain the character of
the community.
Adoption of code that
restricts the size of
residential structures
An adopted code
change and
number of permits
MMC 16.23 Bulk
Development
Standards
MMC 16.23 establishes the development standards
applicable to the mass of buildings and structures
including height, structural coverage, and impervious
surfaces. To better align with the goals and strategies
laid out in the Housing Action Plan, PSRC. and King
County County-wide Policies, it is recommended that
H-P2 is modified to better accommodate development
for more affordable and diverse housing units.
Missing-middle housing can be developed to conform
with current bulk standards and be measured through
the number of permits.
H-P3
The City shall seek to
maintain the informal
single-family character of
its neighborhoods,
including preventing the
intrusion of non-
residential activities.
Adoption of code to allow
the maintenance of the
single-family character of
neighborhoods and
prevent the intrusion of
non-residential activities
An adopted code
change or number
of non-residential
units
No code change
was adopted
To better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, it is recommended that H-P3 is modified
to better accommodate development for more
affordable and diverse housing units. Considering
mixed-use zoning, live/work units, or other
residential/non-residential mixed development
concepts could be a solution that does not conflict
with retaining residential character. This can be
measured by the number of residential and non-
residential permits.
H-P4
When a home is
constructed such that, it
may potentially have no
feasible resale market as
a single-family residence,
the owners should be
aware that this would not
set the stage for a future
conversion to a
nonresidential use.
Adoption of code or
marketing campaign that
informs single-family
residential owners of future
conversion of their parcel
from single-family
residential to non-
residential use.
An adopted code
change or
evidence of
marketing
campaign
No code change
was adopted
This language does not necessarily serve the purpose
of policies in general. It is written as a rule or
regulation. To better align with the goals and
strategies of the Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King
County County-wide Policies, consider amending the
language for clarity and applicability.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
33
An inventory of parcels
that have no feasible resale
market as a single-family
residence
H-P5
The City should work
with cities and
community
representatives on
countywide or
subregional funding
sources for housing
development,
preservation, and related
services.
Any programs, policies, or
partnerships dedicated to
allocating funding for
housing development,
preservation, and related
services.
Programs, policies,
or partnerships
Partnership with
ARCH
Although the City is a member of A Regional Coalition
for Housing (ARCH), there is no method of distributing
funding for housing or preservation within the city. To
better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, this policy could be improved to
facilitate continued ARCH support for affordable
housing development within the City of Medina.
H-P6
The City should continue
participation in inter-
jurisdictional
organizations to assist in
the provision of
affordable housing on
the Eastside.
Any programs, policies, or
partnerships that have
resulted in the provision of
affordable housing on the
Eastside.
Programs, policies,
or partnerships
Partnership with
ARCH
To better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, it is recommended that the City further
develop H-P6 to assist in the provision of affordable
housing in the City of Medina.
H-P7
The City shall continue to
make contributions to
agencies that support
affordable housing.
Contributions to agencies
that support affordable
housing.
Number of
contributions
made by the City
Annual
contributions to
ARCH
2015: $16,125
2016: $16,239
2017: $16,417
2018: $16,476
2019: $16,561
2020: $18, 376
2021: $18,476
To better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, it is recommended that the City continue
contributing to agencies that support affordable
housing, including agencies and programs within the
City of Medina. Policies H-P7 and H-P6 can be
combined for clarity.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
34
2022: $32,109
2023: $27,476
H-P8
The City shall explore
additional affordable
housing options that are
compatible with the
City’s high-quality
residential setting.
An inventory of housing
options that are
compatible with the City’s
high-quality residential
setting.
Viable affordable
housing options
that are
considered
compatible with
the City’s
residential setting
XX To better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, it is recommended that H-P8 be updated
and reflected in the duties of the Planning Commission
or City create and implement policies based on the
affordable housing options that were deemed
compatible with the City’s high-quality residential
setting.
H-P9
The City shall not
discriminate between a
residential structure
occupied by persons with
handicaps and a similar
residential structure
occupied by a family or
other unrelated
individuals.
Adoption of code that
prohibits discrimination
between a residential
structure occupied by
persons with handicaps
and a residential structure
occupied by a family or
other unrelated individuals.
An adopted code
change and
permits
No code change
was adopted
To better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, it is recommended that Title 16.31.020
should be updated to expand the scope of permitted
uses beyond adult family homes and family day care
homes to more fully encapsulate the scope of H-P9
and complies with RCW 35.63.220.
H-P10
The City shall assure that
zoning does not unduly
restrict group homes or
other housing options for
persons with special
needs by making
reasonable
accommodations in its
rules, policies, practices,
and services, when such
accommodations may be
Adoption of code that
assures zoning does not
restrict group homes or
other housing options for
persons with special needs
by making reasonable
accommodations in its
rules to afford persons with
disabilities equal
opportunity to use or enjoy
a dwelling.
An adopted code
change
MMC 16.60.210
MMC 16.31.020
This policy has been met. No recommendations.
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AGENDA ITEM 6.1
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necessary, to afford
persons with disabilities
equal opportunity to use
or enjoy a dwelling.
H-P11
The City shall permit
group living situations
that meet the definition
of “family status”,
including where residents
receive such supportive
services as counseling,
foster care, or medical
supervision, within a
single-family house.
Adoption of code that
permits group living
situations that mee the
definition of “family status”
within a single-family
house.
An adopted code
change
No code change
was adopted
To better align with the goals and strategies of the
Housing Action Plan, PSRC, and King County County-
wide Policies, consider amending zoning code to
reduce the barrier to development of group living
situations to the equivalent of single-family residences
that meet the definition of “family status”. Define
“family status.”
H-P12
To reduce the loss of
households, the City
should discourage lot
aggregation that impacts
the scale and character of
the neighborhood.
Adoption of code that
discourages lot
aggregation to reduce the
loss of households or
deletion of existing code
language pertaining to lot
aggregation.
An adopted code
change
There is no code
language regarding
lot aggregation
This policy has been met. No recommendations.
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