Housing Action Plan
Over the past decade Cowlitz County has experienced incredible population growth. Housing has become both difficult to afford and difficult to find, for all income levels.
From 2010 to 2018, the county on average gained 6,342 people, a 0.75% growth rate per year. The fastest years of growth have been 2015-2019, during these years, the county has grown by 1761 new residents each year. Read the Full Housing Needs Assessment HERE
Outreach included 5 committee meetings, 11 individual interviews, and over 60 online survey responses. Outreach respondents said supporting market-rate projects, developing housing for seniors, and increasing the number of smaller units in urban areas were paths to support increased housing variety across cost levels. Read the Full Outreach Summary HERE
In Spring 2020 the county applied for funding to complete a Housing Action Plan. The intent of the Housing Action Plan is to identify the need for housing in Cowlitz County and identify code, zoning, or process changes that could increase housing development. This process includes the production of:
- Housing Needs Assessment - Fall 2020 - View HERE
- Community Outreach - Winter 2021 - View Press Release
- Provide Input [Public input is continuously accepted]:
- View the Outreach Results:
- Draft the Housing Action Plan - Spring/Summer 2021
- Adopt of the Housing Action Plan - Summer 2021
The staff contact for this process is:
Adam Trimble; 360-577-3052, Option 1, Extension 6664; trimblea@cowlitzwa.gov