Clark County aims to encourage creation of more apartments

Clark County residents should expect to see more mid- and large-sized apartment complexes built over the next two decades to meet the demand for housing, especially affordable housing. That was one key takeaway from a July 30 county work session on how to implement code changes for middle housing adopted last year.

Middle housing, which is multi-unit housing types with higher density than single-family homes but less density than high-rise apartments, is often more affordable. So it was identified as one solution in the county’s Housing Options Study and Action Plan adopted in 2022.

Early last year, the county council told staff to begin implementing short-term, code-based strategies from the study to help alleviate the housing shortage.

The study focused on housing challenges specific to the unincorporated Vancouver urban growth area, such as Hazel Dell or Orchards. Mid- and large-scale apartment complexes are “appropriate for urban level residential types, so that’s where the county focused to look at opportunities to encourage creation of housing that’s more affordable,” Elizabeth Decker, with JET Planning, told the county council.

Rather than townhomes or multiplex apartments — duplexes, triplexes, etc. — or even single-family homes, larger complexes will be needed to meet the projected 26,529 apartment units needed to meet lower-income housing needs. However, Decker said the county does not have enough land zoned for these types of housing developments.

County staff and consultants also “looked at strategies to remove regulatory barriers and other tools that would help provide access for affordable, quality and flexible housing across future generations,” Decker said.

Code changes adopted last year are already generating new developments, Decker told the council. She said about two-thirds of applicants have used different provisions of the new code when applying for subdivisions with more than 400 lots.

“We haven’t yet seen a lot of interest in some of the duplex, triplex, other attached styles, but certainly these provisions are being used already, and it will be interesting to see how that continues to unfold,” Decker said.

Last year, the Legislature updated the Growth Management Act to require cities and counties to plan for housing at different income levels. Along with apartments, the county says 6,857 multiplex units and 10,629 single-family homes will be needed to serve the county’s population, which is expected to top 718,000 by 2045. Decker said the county already has enough land zoned in low density and higher density areas for both types of housing.

“To plan for housing capacity for all housing income levels, by income band, is the way that the state is talking about this, and that’s a lot more specific than how counties and cities have been planning for overall housing capacity for the previous 40 years,” she said.