TOOL KITS

• Mapping out local & regional land use policies & governing bodies.
• Technical review of case studies, innovative design & building practices.
• Literature review of policies and strategies for economic inclusion & wealth building.

Primary Design Concepts & Terminology Definitions

National Policy Research Organizations

Local Commissions, Working Groups, Advisory Committees, Coalitions, Trade Groups

Federal Funding Programs

• Fanny Mae & Freddie Mac Originating & Underwriting for Shared Equity Programs
  • This is how most CLT land purchases are funded

Wa Department of Commerce, Reports & Published Documents

• Homeownership Disparities Working Group:
  “Improving Homeownership Rates for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Washington” Report
  • In the 2021-23 Operating Budget, the Legislature tasked the Department of Commerce with convening a diverse homeownership-focused work group to “assess perspectives on housing and lending laws, policies, and practices; facilitate discussion among interested parties; and develop budgetary, administrative policy, and legislative recommendations.” 
  • Enabling Legislation: ESSB 5092, Sec 129 (100)

• Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB) | 2019 Annual Report (PDF)
  • “The Affordable Housing Advisory Board published the first Affordable Housing Needs Assessment in 2015. That research is the first effort in over 10 years to collect and analyze federal, tribal, state and housing authority data on affordable housing in our state.”

• Growth Management Act
  • “The GMA was adopted to address ways to accommodate growth. It requires that the fastest-growing cities and counties complete comprehensive plans and development regulations to guide future growth. All jurisdictions are required to protect critical environmental areas and conserve natural resource lands, such as farms and forests. The GMA calls for communities to review and, if necessary, revise their plans and regulations every ten years to ensure they remain up-to-date.”

Bellingham & Whatcom County, Regional Reports & Published Documents

• 2016 COB Comprehensive Plan
• 2016 COB/Whatcom Land Capacity Report
• 2018-2022 COB Consolidated Plan
• 2022 Action Plan (July 1, 2022- June 30, 2023)
• 2018 Annexation Strategy
• 2018 Whatcom County Community Health Assessment
• 2020 Whatcom Working Toward Well-Being – Action Plan
• 2021-08-033 COB Emergency Ordinance – Moratorium on processing/approving application to build single-family dwelling units in residential mult-family zones (effective 6 months)
• 2022 Whatcom Buildable Lands Report

Other Western Washington Regional Reports & Published Documents

• Puget Sound Regional Council – Vision 2050
• South King County Housing Action Plan – HOUSING POLICY ASSESSMENT

Bellingham Municipal Code – Relevant Sections

• 17
• 19
• 20
• 20.28
• 20.29
• 21.10
• 23

CASE STUDIES & POLICY MODELS

• South Bend, Indiana
  • The Swarm
  • Department of Economic Engagement & Empowerment (!)
  • Pre-Approved Building Plan Catalogue
  • Cost of Sewer Install Rebate Program

• Boise, Idaho
  • Pre-Approved Building Designs

• Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Westside Community Land Trust Received donation lots from the city. The lots are so large, they are building ADU upfront, CLT providing property management support services for the rental units.

• Chattanooga, Tennessee
  • Pre-Approved Building Designs

• Clarkston, Georgia
  • Microlife Cottage Communities

• Durham, North Carolina
  • CLT provides management services for private property owners who are offering “affordable rate rentals”
  • Keeps the property together, subdividing is not necessary

• Kelowna, BC
  • Pre-Approved Designs Study
  • Small Housing Accelerator Program : Summary Report

Case Studies In Washington State

• Seattle, WA
  • Pre-Approved DADU Designs 
  • BLOCK project
• City of Burien
  • Affordable Housing Demonstration Program
  • Ordinance 718
  • Ecothrive Villages pilot projects
• Tukwila
• Renton
• Spokane, WA
  • C36232
• Lacey, WA
  • Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Units
• Walla Walla, WA

Small Footprint Design Inspirations

• MyKabin Catalogue of Pre-designed models, contractor servin Bellingham & Seattle
• New Energy Building design catalogue
  (participated in producing South Bend Pre-Approved Catalogue)
• Innovations in Small-scale Living from North America
  Report by Small Housing BC
• Big Freedom – company in Bellingham building tiny homes (on wheels)
• Method Homes – high-end prefabrication home builder
• StudioShed – a prefabrication design tool to play with
• Mighty Small Homes – prefab contractor in Kentucky
• Tiny House Design Plans on ETSY
• Tiny House Listings .com – website listing of tiny houses for sale (for price reference, local market availability)

Innovative Multifamily Building Designs

• “GROW” in Calgary, Alberta – raked multilevel roof integrates urban agriculture into building design
• Little Mountain Co-Housing, Vancouver, British Columbia

Primary Literature Review: policies and strategies for economic inclusion & wealth building.

• Scaling The Community Land trust
  • Community Land Trusts: Combining Scale and Community Control
  • Strategies For Sustainable Growth in Community Land Trusts

• Community Ownership
  • Moving Beyond the Market: Community Ownership and the Right to Housing
• Development Without Displacement

• Incremental & Small-Scale Development
  • As Land Use Zoning & Municipal Policy:
    Land use policy, municipal codes, permitting process that make it easy for homeowners to navigate infill development requirements.
    • Gentle Infill: Boomtowns Are Making Room for Skinny Homes, Granny Flats, and Other Affordable Housing
      By Kathleen McCormick Poverty Race & Research Action Council article publication.  
      
  • As Design Principle:
    Developing financing and housing design products that plan for stages of small-scale improvement, developed over time as needed by occupants. Allows the production of small “starter packages” for infill development that enable the occupant to build equity through customization and improvement.
    • The Value of Incremental Development and Design in Affordable Housing
    • Half-A-House – Chile
    • Grow Home – Montreal, Canada
      
  • As Tactic for Economic Inclusion and Racial Equity
    • WA State Department of Commerce Homeownership Disparities Work Group
    • American Planning Association Implementing Racial Justice
    • Racial Justice in Housing Finance: A Series on New Directions (PRRAC, May 2021)
      
  • As a Resilience Strategy
    • The Strong Towns Approach