Thriving cities are working to accommodate affordable housing across the income spectrum, including “missing middle” housing, such as for-sale affordable homes. Despite those efforts, population growth in Washington state, paired with a national trend of under-production of traditional “starter” homes, is creating a crisis of supply that impacts teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and other middle-class residents looking for a home in the city where they work.

Density bonuses are a tool that municipalities can use to encourage the development of affordable for-sale homes. When combined with a requirement that the resulting homes be kept permanently affordable, a density bonus program can create a legacy of affordable homeownership that serves a city for decades.

What is a density bonus? How is it structured, and how can it be used to create affordable homeownership? Get these questions answered and more during a density bonus webinar on December 9 from 12-1:30. The webinar will include:

• An introduction to permanently affordable homeownership, a model created by community land trusts but used increasingly by other affordable homeownership developers, including some Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
• A case-study of the City of Renton pilot density bonus project in partnership with Homestead Community Land Trust.

The webinar is free of charge and sponsored by the Association of Washington Cities and the Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition. Register now!