The Vashon Rural Town Affordable Housing Special District Overlay requires that residential development provide 100 percent of the planned dwelling units be reserved as affordable units (defined as 80% or below of Area Median Income).

All family groups need adequate food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and access to public services. Family groups consist of one or more adults with or without children. Limited income families are in three basic groups:

1) groups with at least one full time employed adult,

2) groups where all of the adults are unable to work because of age or other limiting circumstances, and

3) groups with adults who are able to work, but cannot find (or succeed at) full employment.

These three groups have different needs.

Group 1 needs subsidies to afford housing or maybe just pay raises to achieve livable wages instead of subsidized housing.

Group 2 needs subsidies and services for an adequate lifestyle — probably long term residents.

Group 3 have endured hardship and/or are insufficiently trained or motivated to achieve full time employment. They need many more services than group 1 including subsidies for housing, food, healthcare, family education, and job training. The goal should be to learn, grow, and advance to group 1. Like children who have special needs, they are best served by mainstreaming with others who have a history of success. It would help to have a proper mix of all three groups in each apartment.

A possible apartment mix might be a range of 20 percent to 40 percent from each of the three groups. Apartments would benefit with two or more units including children; hence a mixture of one, two, and three bedroom units. There’s a lot to think about in addition to affordable housing. Solving the housing problem alone will not solve the needs of this community.

— Melvin Mackey