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State Data Overview
Across Washington, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.
Housing Profiles
Washington
Key Facts
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253,846 OR 22%
Renter households that are extremely low-income
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-182,692
Shortage of rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters
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$36,410
Average income limit for 4-person extremely low income household
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$82,865
Annual household income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental home at HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR)
Impact on Low-Wage Workers
A minimum wage worker would need to work:
- 78 hours per week or 1.9 full-time jobs to afford a 1-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
- 93 hours per week or 2.3 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
Most Expensive Areas 2-Bedroom Housing Wage Seattle-Bellevue HMFA $48.10 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard MSA $39.06 Tacoma HMFA $37.90 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater MSA $37.69 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro MSA $36.96 Common Occupations Median Hourly Wage Nursing Assistants $24.31 Home Health and Personal Care Aides $23.59 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $22.50 Retail Salespersons $19.55 Fast Food and Counter Workers $18.63 Solutions
- Provide significant resources to build and preserve homes affordable to renters with the lowest incomes through investments in public housing and the national Housing Trust Fund
- Encourage states and local communities to reform zoning and land use regulations that prevent housing from being built and push up housing costs
- Bridge the gap between incomes and housing costs by expanding rental assistance so that it is universally available to all eligible households or consider other innovative approaches, such as a fully refundable renters’ tax credit
- Prevent evictions and homelessness by creating permanent tools, such as emergency rental assistance, to help stabilize families in crisis
- Other federal housing resources, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, should be reformed to better address the shortage of rental housing affordable to the lowest-income households.
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State Level Partners
NLIHC Housing Advocacy Organizer
Thaddaeus Elliott
State PartnersWashington Low Income Housing Alliance
304 Alaskan Way S.
Suite 302
Seattle, WA 98104
Ms. Rachael Myers, Executive Director
Become an NLIHC State Partner
NLIHC’s affiliation with our state coalition partners is central to our advocacy efforts. Although our partners' involvement varies, they are all housing and homeless advocacy organizations engaged at the state and federal level. Many are traditional coalitions with a range of members; others are local organizations that serve more informally as NLIHC's point of contact.
Inquire about becoming a state partner by contacting [email protected]
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Housing Trust FundHTF Implementation Information
NLIHC continues working with leaders in each state and the District of Columbia who will mobilize advocates in support of HTF allocation plans that benefit ELI renters to the greatest extent possible. Please contact the point person coordinating with NLIHC in your state (below) to find out about the public participation process and how you can be involved. Email Thaddaeus Elliott with any questions.
Current Year HTF Allocation$16,889,505
HTF State Resources2019
Draft Annual Action Plan (PDF)
Final Annual Action Plan with HTF Allocation Plan on page 55 (PDF)
2018
Notice of Fund Availability, NOFA (PDF)
Annual Action Plan (PDF)
2017
2017 NHTF awards (PDF)
HTF Allocation Plan submitted to HUD (PDF)
Draft HTF Allocation Plan (PDF)
Stakeholder Power Point Presentation (PDF)
2016
Stakeholder Meeting slides (PDF)
Olympia stakeholder meeting recording
Spokane stakeholder meeting recording
HUD Approved Allocation Plan (PDF)
State NHTF Overview slides (PDF)
Comments submitted by stakeholders to draft NHTF Allocation Plan (PDF)
State Designated EntityState Entity Webpage
Washington State Department of CommerceOfficial Directly Involved with HTF ImplementationJessica Robertson
Federal Project Management Supervisor
509-818-1022
[email protected]Fia Phillips
Housing Development Manager
[email protected]Shawn Slape
HOME & NHTF Program Manager
Housing Finance Unit
360-725-5005
[email protected]NHTF-specific Pages
National Housing Trust Fund
Notices of Fund Availability, NOFAs
Annual Action Plan -
ResourcesResources
Housing Profiles
State Housing Profile
State Housing Profile: Washington (PDF)
Congressional District Housing Profile
Congressional District Profile: Washington (PDF)
Research and Data
National Housing Preservation Database
The National Housing Preservation Database is an address-level inventory of federally assisted rental housing in the United States.
Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing
Out of Reach documents the gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing. In Washington and Nationwide
The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes
The Gap represents data on the affordable housing supply and housing cost burdens at the national, state, and metropolitan levels. In Washington and Nationwide
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