Last night the Pierce County Council voted in favor of Ordinance 2022-81s, a one-tenth of one percent sales tax to support affordable housing development and preservation.
In memory of one of Pierce County's fiercest advocates, this Act has been titled the "Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act". We couldn't think of a better way to show appreciation for someone who worked tirelessly to ensure everyone had access to safe and affordable housing.
The Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act will generate approximately $20 million a year across Pierce County and cost the average taxpayer $16 annually. Revenue will be prioritized in the following ways:
Up to 30 percent of the funds will go to projects serving individuals with income below 30 percent of the area median income.
Up to 50 percent of the funds will go to projects serving individuals whose income is between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income.
Up to 20 percent of the funds will go to housing-related services, behavioral health treatment facilities, and related programs.
Did you know Pierce County needs 25,000 units of affordable housing by 2044 to meet the needs of our lowest-income neighbors? This Act will allow Pierce County to be effective in making progress toward this goal.
In the Act, Pierce County Human Services Department is charged with developing a six-year advisory expenditure and implementation plan. The plan will pull priorities and goals from the recently adopted Pierce County Housing Action Strategy. To support the creation of the plan, the Pierce County Community Development Corporation, the Behavioral Health Advisory Board, the Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness Implementation Advisory Board, and community partners to the table for input. The Affordable Housing Consortium will be advocating for affordable housing developers to be at the table, as they work day in and day out to create that pipeline of funding to get affordable housing projects built.