County Council candidates in Snohomish are taking notice of the housing market insanity and (of course) attempting to gain votes based on their position on the matter.
The hot real estate market and its expensive “starter castles” are a key hurdle for the homeless, first-time home buyers and senior citizens, several Snohomish County Council candidates agreed Thursday at a forum on housing.But should the county jump-start the condo market or roll back property taxes? Candidates diverged on what the next step should be to make housing more affordable in the county.
While I think it’s a good thing for public officials to take notice of the continually growing problem, I don’t really think that a county council is really in a position to reign in the madness. Also, I’m not so sure about that assertion regarding the homeless—are the only choices home ownership or going homeless?
I give them credit for keeping the issue in the public awareness, but I sense that it’s all just a bunch of talk. How unlike politicians.
(Jeff Switzer, Everett Herald, 10.07.2005)
I think there is something that local politicians can do. They control zoning and urban planning, for the most part. So, they can make it easier to build new supply. If there is lots of new supply, things get better.
Are there a lot of zoning restrictions in Snohomish County?