I know I’m not alone when I say I was raised to believe that part of growing up was buying a home at some point. And not just any home, a single-family home with a yard and maybe even that white-picket-fence you hear about. The older I get, and the more settled I become in my community, the less possible it feels to own any space to call my own. 

While interest rates are currently the lowest they’ve been in a while (2.77% as of January 2021), there is also an extreme shortage of homes for sale. Additionally, the average home in Everett is about $500,000, so it’s hard to imagine how someone like me, a social worker who makes a living wage but not much more, could afford a space of my own. A space to paint the walls without losing my deposit, to maybe try some DIY home projects, to grow as I do. And I’m not alone. 

That’s why we need Rethink Housing, a “multi-year effort to develop a community-wide housing action plan that will include strategies for addressing the housing needs for current and future Everett residents”. This initiative works with Rethink Zoning and the Consolidate Plan Updates project, both of which are integral to improving our community’s housing situation. Rethink Housing recognizes that, while there are several causes behind our current housing crisis, two of the most impactful are affordability and availability. 

Based on this project’s research, our city needs over 20,000 new units across the area median income (AMI) spectrum by 2035 to adequately address our current and future population’s needs. This includes developing homes that are accessible to individuals in the low- and medium-income bracket, as well as homes that do not fit the traditional image of a “home” - such as more townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), condos, and tiny homes. This also includes reimagining how we develop communities considering zoning, land use, transportation, density, green space, walkability, and other such factors that make a community home. 

Over the past few years, there have been meetings, workshops, and forums to gather public and professional opinions related to what housing our community needs. In November 2020, this work was formalized when Mayor Franklin issued a directive for housing for all, and the work continues today. Rethink Housing has sponsored forums that bring the community together to learn more about our current circumstances and what our needs are from experts, as well as workshops and community meetings that offer a space for community members to share their hopes and concerns related to housing. These meetings and forums will continue until March of this year. Afterward, the Rethink Housing group will develop a plan, which will be adopted by the council in June 2021. 

The next forum features Nan Roman, the President and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness on February 9th, at 2:30 p.m., and the next community meeting is on February 18th at 6 p.m.. I truly hope you join in to share your opinion. We all play a part in creating our future, and this is just one way we can do that. 

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Angela Di Filippo currently works in State Social Services and recently earned her Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with extensive training in evidence-based leadership coaching. Angela moved from North Carolina to Washington 6 years ago and has proudly called Everett her home for 5 of those years. When not helping others solve problems in creative and strength-driven ways, Angela enjoys her time painting, hiking with her terrier-mix, Indy, and eating waffles.