6. HOUSING

Residential development in the Subarea reflects the different eras of growth for Kirkland, from the small hobby farms that were predominant at time of annexation of the Rose Hill neighborhood, and transformation throughout the 1990-2020’s into residential subdivisions with a grid street pattern of development. Today, lower intensity predominantly residential neighborhoods surround and are located on the peripheries of the Subarea, ranging from large lot homes to smaller bungalows. According to the Station Area Plan Market Analysis, approximately three percent of residential units in the Subarea were multifamily and 97 percent were considered “single-family.” The northwestern portion of the study area also includes a mix of townhouses, other infill adjacent to single-family neighborhoods, and small apartment complexes. Retaining and enhancing this mix is important for housing diversity.

The Subarea Plan promotes significant mixed use redevelopment of the underutilized low intensity commercial portions in the Subarea. This strategy has the significant advantage of avoiding significant displacement of existing residents of the Subarea while repurposing large surface parking lots for focused market rate and affordable housing opportunities.

The Station Area is envisioned as a district with plentiful affordable housing, where the community has maximized affordable housing options and created the most opportunity for housing options that serve diverse needs.

The Station Area Plan Market Analysis showed that more than 30 percent of people who work within the NE 85th Station Area make a salary below what is considered a living wage. Additionally, 16 percent of employees within the area make below the federal poverty thresholds. This Subarea Plan is intended to generate more living-wage jobs, paired with more housing units that are affordable to the workforce.

Based on the City’s existing inclusionary zoning requirement that at least 10 percent of new multifamily units are affordable, future redevelopment in the Station Area could result in over 600 estimated new affordable units (of the studied capacity for up to 6,243 additional housing units). Incentive zoning and other financial and planning tools seek to build upon these existing regulations to generate more affordable housing.

Opportunities to support commercial linkage fee programs and workforce development in order to encourage more jobs for residents in Kirkland will be important, especially jobs that offer higher incomes. Workforce training programs may be possible along the 120th Avenue corridor, encompassing high tech jobs and students and staff at the Lake Washington High School. An opportunity to maximize affordable housing would entail providing additional development capacity at a site owned by the King County Housing Authority, which could be redeveloped in the future to provide additional affordable units.

Housing Goals and Policies

Goal SA-11:

Plan for and achieve housing production to achieve regional planning objectives and maximize opportunities for affordable housing provision in the Subarea.

Goal SA-12:

Preserve, improve and expand housing stock to provide for a range of affordable, accessible, healthy, and safe housing choices to every resident.

Goal SA-13:

Increase affordable housing by developing strategies and incentives to increase the amount of affordable housing within the Station Area at various income levels, especially at lower income levels.

Goal SA-14:

Provide a mix of housing that is attainable for a range of existing and new jobs in the district – and also accessible/connected via regional transit.

Goal SA-15:

Increase resident access to opportunity, including employment and education opportunities and amenities in neighborhoods.

Policy SA-16:

Create density bonuses that prioritize affordable housing, particularly units available at deeper levels of affordability.

Policy SA-17:

Leverage regional partnerships (e.g., A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), King County Housing Authority and other nonprofit housing developers/providers) to add affordable housing opportunities in the Station Area.

Policy SA-18:

Create and periodically adjust effective implementation strategies for addressing housing targets and goals in the Station Area Plan.

Policy SA-19:

Reduce the risk of residential displacement through a variety of anti-displacement strategies, including leveraging growth opportunities to provide new affordable units and preserving existing affordable housing.

Policy SA-20:

Encourage coordination with housing organizations and community groups to address issues of homelessness, fair housing, anti-displacement, etc. Partnering with housing program and service providers can promote more equitable housing opportunities within the Station Area.

Policy SA-21:

Expand housing capacity for moderate income households (e.g., missing middle housing) through flexible form-based code standards.

Policy SA-22:

Explore innovative funding strategies to encourage and enable housing production, particularly affordable units, such as methods for commercial development to contribute to affordable housing funds (e.g., nexus fees), and Tax Increment Financing to provide City infrastructure to accommodate new, more compact housing development.