On November 21, 2024, Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund issued an Executive Order (EO) to address Bellingham’s escalating housing crisis. The EO has 13 administrative actions and 3 legislative directives, all aimed at expanding housing options and addressing affordability in Bellingham. This directive focuses on diversifying housing options, streamlining permitting processes, and notably, eliminating parking minimum requirements for new developments. However, there are lessons in this action that might give us insight into Bellingham’s housing and parking policy for the next 6-12 months. Let’s dig a bit further.

Link to full Executive Order.

Historical Context

Bellingham has faced a persistent housing shortage, with median rents increasing by 37% and home prices by 56% over the past five years. This is the second Executive Order of Lund’s short term, all indicating clear direction on where she sees our city’s future.

Key Provisions of the Executive Order

  • Removal of Parking Minimums: The order directs city staff to draft an interim ordinance eliminating parking minimums citywide, subject to City Council approval. This move aims to reduce development costs and encourage diverse housing projects.

  • Expansion of Middle Housing: It proposes adopting the Infill Housing Toolkit across all neighborhoods, promoting housing types like duplexes and cottage homes to increase density and affordability.

  • Streamlined Permitting: The order prioritizes the review of residential projects that include low-income housing, infill development, or are located in key areas such as Downtown and Old Town, to expedite housing availability.

Comparison with Spokane’s Approach to Housing & Parking Reform

Spokane has arguably led the nation in housing and parking reform. There are some similarities to the process that Spokane went though, in regards to both housing and parking reform. In 2021 Spokane’s mayor’s office issued an Executive Order on Housing. Then in July 2023, Spokane implemented a pilot program removing parking minimums for housing within a half-mile of transit stops. This initiative aimed to reduce housing costs and promote multimodal transportation. Following a successful trial, Spokane’s City Council voted in August 2024 to permanently eliminate parking mandates citywide, making it the largest city in Washington State to do so.

Implications for Bellingham and Affordable Housing Development

Could the EO lead to parking reform ahead of our upcoming comprehensive plan update at the end of 2025? In February of 2024, Bellingham City Council voted 7-0 to have city planning staff draft up two (2) recommendations for parking reform that would be sent to Planning Commission. One would have been for full removal and one for removal around bus routes. While none of those were sent to planning commission in that time, this EO likely overrules that process anyway. Bellingham’s proposed removal of parking minimums mirrors Spokane’s efforts to alleviate housing shortages and promote sustainable development. If the City Council approves the interim ordinance, a lot of questions remain, including, how long is the interim ordinance for? If the interim ordinance is set for 6-12 months, we could see a permanent removal of parking minimums at that point. An interim ordinance is an effective way for a city, staff and council to feel better about change, as it allows for a “pilot” period to occur.

In talking with stakeholders, there’s been a variety of feedback on parking reform. What is amazing about removing parking reform is that it helps ALL income bands, including those in our lower income brackets. Studies in New York…

…eliminating parking requirements in New York City’s Transit Zone significantly boosted affordable housing development. The share of newly constructed affordable units in this zone increased from 63% in 2015 to 81% in 2017. Additionally, there was a 64% rise in units for households earning 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and a 63% increase for those at 30% AMI.

…and California

The program produced over 1,500 affordable homes in 2020 – six times more than in 2019.  Between 2016 and 2019, the program had never produced more than 300 affordable homes in one year.

…have shown that removing parking minimums has actually increased the number of affordable housing units. It’s clear that removing parking minimums doesn’t just impact the supply of houses, it impacts the supply of subsidized units for the most vulnerable!

Next Steps

Bellingham planning staff are tasked with drafting the ordinance, which will be presented to the City Council for consideration. There’s been some talk that this will be included in the 12/9 City Council meeting, but that needs to be confirmed. And you can do that yourself, by checking council’s agenda, when it’s released later this week on their website, usually on Wednesday or Thursday ahead of the meeting.. The duration of the Executive Order’s provisions depends on Council approval and subsequent implementation timelines. Community engagement will be crucial to ensure that the proposed changes align with residents’ needs and priorities and we will call on all of you to show up and educate our council and community on why reform like this is so important to the future of affordability.

Mayor Lund’s Executive Order represents a significant step towards addressing Bellingham’s housing challenges. By learning from Spokane’s experience and focusing on removing barriers like parking minimums, Bellingham aims to create a more inclusive and affordable community. Active participation from residents and stakeholders will be essential in shaping our city’s housing future!