Local Leaders to Convene Housing Summit Oct. 14

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Local government leaders and elected officials will convene a housing summit Oct. 14 to better understand Lewis County’s housing situation and how to develop policies to address housing shortfalls.

The meeting will take place 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the community events center at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, said Centralia Councilor Kelly Smith Johnston at a regular council meeting Tuesday.

Housing in Lewis County is limited: There is a little over a month of housing supply, which is low compared to an ideal four months; homeowner and rental vacancy rates are at gravely low levels; and, in the last nine years, there’s been a 69% decrease in supply while the median housing price has more than doubled.

That’s what’s triggered this cross-jurisdictional approach, Smith Johnston said.

“We will do some things autonomously as our own council. It’s appropriate for our jurisdiction. But we want to work with our neighbors as well to see what we can do collectively,” she said.



Smith Johnston, who is organizing the event in collaboration with Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope, is inviting one or two representatives from each local government in the county to the summit. The focus is going to be on education and building a consensus of understanding.

“We’re bringing in experts and panelists that will talk about the whole housing spectrum, and then we’ll conclude with somebody from the Washington Association of Counties that will talk about the policy toolkit that local jurisdictions have available,” she said.

Organizers were originally vying for an all-day event, but due to limitations, including the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, engagement had to be scaled back. Smith Johnston said it wouldn’t benefit anyone to delay action.

The summit will not focus on any one type of housing, Smith Johnston said, but instead will run the gamut.