Gwen Frost
First, a distinction. An ADU is an accessory dwelling unit, like an apartment attached to a house, or over the garage. A DADU is a detached accessory dwelling unit, like a backyard cottage. DADU’s are on the same property as homes, and under the same ownership.
ADUs are allowed with a permit, but any single-family-zoned neighborhood is only allowed 20 ADU properties maximum, on a first-come-first-served basis. These single-family neighborhoods are actually 70 percent of Bellingham neighborhoods. DADUs are not allowed anywhere in single-family zones.
There are however some DADUs in Bellingham, which have been grandfathered in before the DADU policy ban was implemented in the 1930s.
On May 7, the Bellingham City Council will be voting on an ordinance on allowing DADU’S dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods. As part of the AS Local Lobby Day Agenda or 2017, and now again for 2018, the Associated Students Board has voted in favor of both ADUs and DADUs, AS Local Liaison Anna Kemper said, in an effort to tackle “a small piece of the housing puzzle, and work towards both affordable and available housing.”
Washington’s rental vacancy is 1.2 percent, as opposed to the national average of 6.9 percent . When housing availability and vacancy is lower, the supply of available housing decreases.
Kemper described how Bellingham’s annual population has increased by 1,400 per year for the past 20 years, and has a 20-year growth projection of about 1,350 people on average per year.The demand for housing increasing, and the supply is lower than it should be, leaving residents with next-to-no purchasing power, and the landlords and rental companies with all the autonomy to set a city-wide monopoly price of living. The housing shortage is driving up prices for renters, and everyone who lives in a house should be concerned.
Why would anyone be opposed to more affordable housing for Bellingham residents?
According to Kemper, opponents argue that ADUs and DADUs won’t create affordable housing. She says there has been resistance to mixed-income neighborhoods, citing a section of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) which advocates for “preserved neighborhood integrity.”
Opponents to accessible housing also claims that available space to park will be an issue, which the City Council could possibly ignore due to the fact that there isn’t available space for people to sleep or live, said Kemper.
Housing rental is often positioned as a student issue, and that “students aren’t contributing to the community and only come her for 1-2 years,” which Kemper argues is entirely inaccurate. Fifty-six percent of Bellingham rents, and the rent increases that have been rolling through Bellingham effect anyone that isn’t a homeowner-
On May 3, 20 to 25 students will be going to lobby the city council to advocate for the AS Board’s approved agenda, which includes strong student support to allow more affordable and available housing development.
“This issue is important to students, even if they don’t know it,” Kemper said. “ADU’s alone won’t solve the housing problem by a long shot, but it will help get the ball rolling.”
Kemper and other organizers are hoping to gather signatures for the Monday, May 7 City Council meeting to ask the council to say “yes” to ADUs and DADUs.
This petition is not asking for a zoning change, but rather a a change to the Bellingham Municipal Code.
You can sign the petition now at tinyurl.com/YesToHomes