In 2019, the Washington State Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) received $5 million to provide grant funds to local governments for activities to increase residential building capacity, streamline development, or develop a Housing Action Toolkit (HAT). The City of University Place chose to develop a HAT. As required by the State legislation, the HAT focuses on possible future actions that would “…encourage construction of additional affordable and market rate housing in a greater variety of housing types and at price….”
The HAT was adopted by the University Place City Council on June 21, 2021. The HAT itself does not result in any Comprehensive Plan Policy or development regulation changes. It is, in fact, a toolkit that outlines information, recommendations, and possible actions that the City can consider taking in the future.