EVERETT, APRIL 18: During Wednesday’s Everett City Council meeting public comments took center stage as residents expressed concerns for affordable housing and policies related to the city Comprehensive Plan.
Connect Casino Road volunteers and advocates spoke to the council about the need for permanent affordable housing, specifically in South Everett.
“We call on the city of Everett to implement anti-displacement and affordable housing strategies in our neighborhood to ensure the protection of our community members,” Connect Casino Road director Alvaro Guillen said.
The comments come as the city develops its Comprehensive Plan Update that will guide the growth of the city up until the year 2044.
“We have been working with LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), Connect Casino Road, the Housing Consortium and some partners on an affordable housing work plan and an economic development framework for Casino Road for the last four years,” Planning Director Yorik Stevens-Wajda said later in the council meeting.
Everett, and all of Snohomish County, are facing a housing crisis. 30% of low-income households (about 30,000) in Snohomish County pay more than 50% of their income to housing, leading many to sacrifice on food and health care, according to the Housing Authority of Snohomish County.
Esmeralda Rivas, a family development coordinator at Connect Casino Road touched on struggles families have had dealing with rising costs.
“I’ve seen first-hand the difficult choices families are forced to make every month, deciding between buying groceries and paying rent,” Rivas said. “These are not families who are unemployed, in many cases both parents are working full-time jobs, and they still struggle to cover the cost of housing…”
She said that families choose to live in overcrowded conditions not because they want to, but because the alternative is homelessness.
An interpreter was present for Spanish speaking residents to have their thoughts and concerns translated to the council. One speaker said that she was fearful of being displaced after 18 years living on Casino Road.
Melinda Cervantes, a prominent member of the Snohomish County community said, “When a family has a secure place to live, the entire community grows stronger…”
Some commenters expressed concern for city projects like the light rail coming to South Everett.
“I want to raise a flag. This investment [light rail] cannot come at the cost of our community. We need strong anti-displacement policies now…” South Everett resident Linda War Bonnet said.
“My heart aches for your stories and mostly for your families, your kids. Your stories also give me hope and we’ll do our part,” Council president Don Schwab said. “The issue is very complicated with other governments affecting our decisions. But we will do our part in protecting you and representing you…,”
Stevens-Wajda said that the planning committee implemented most of the requests made by Connect Casino in the Comprehensive Plan after receiving their memo a few months ago.
“I think we have taken a major step forward to try to mitigate displacement pressure in the Casino Road neighborhood and to facilitate and encourage affordable housing, and housing at all price points throughout the city,” Stevens-Wajda said.
Everett 2044 Comprehensive Plan
The Comprehensive Plan Update is required every 10 years by the state and lays out development plans for the next 20 years. The plan includes goals, policies, maps and more which guide day-to-day decisions that the city makes around development, Stevens-Wajda said during the briefing.
The city began the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan in 2022 by defining the projects’ overall planning. As of now, they are taking in public comments to help finalize the draft. The city released the draft plan on April 7 which can be viewed on the city website.
The briefing gave on Wednesday was an opportunity for the council to make comments and amendments to the draft before May 21, the first reading of the Comprehensive Plan adoption.
The comment period on the draft ends Monday, May 12. Another public hearing for the draft will be held on Tuesday, May 6 at the Planning Commission meeting.
“The current 2015 comprehensive plan identifies room for about 21,000 new housing units. The 2044 housing unit target to accommodate a population of 179,000 will require capacity for an additional 17,000 new units, for a total of 38,000 housing units,” according to the Comprehensive Plan website.
The policy changes could provide the opportunity for high-rises up to 15 stories along Highway 99, Broadway, and Everett Mall Way. Casino Road could allow mid-ride to seven stories.
The comprehensive plan update also includes policies to accommodate job growth. The city will need to plan for 76,000 new jobs between 2024 and 2044, according to the website.
“Everett is growing, it’s inevitable, but we want to grow in a smart, strategic way and preserve, and expand upon, our quality of life here,” Simone Tarver, city public information officer said in June.
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