The Kenmore City Council held a second public hearing Dec. 11 on the low-income Plymouth housing project proposal at 6532 Bothell Way NE. Many people signed up to speak resulting in a marathon meeting that lasted until the early hours of the morning.
In the end, after several hours of public comments, the Kenmore City Council voted 6-1 to not approve the Plymouth development agreement proposal.
When the partnership with Plymouth was approved by the Kenmore City Council on June 21, 2022, the proposal was described as serving those at or below 30% Area Median Income (AMI) with a focus on seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities and those who were formerly homeless.
Following a complex process of securing funding for the project one of the funding sources, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC), stipulated that Plymouth needed to serve 100% homeless at entry as a condition of the funding from the department. Those funding awards stipulated that the population to be served be:
Income of 30% or less of Area Median Income
Homeless at Entry (which can include “couch surfing”, living in transitional housing, and staying in a shelter)
Single adults with no children
The stipulation that the residents be homeless at entry and the "no barrier" policy of the housing first model that Plymouth uses seemed to be the deal breakers for many Kenmore residents who spoke. No barriers means residents could be struggling with drug and alcohol addictions and would not have to seek treatment to qualify for a unit in the building.
Several city councilmembers had questions and comments about the proposal that may be able to be addressed. City staff will be researching whether these questions and comments can be addressed and possible next steps. For information on what was proposed, visit the project website.
Sources: Kenmore City eNews and City of Kenmore Housing and Human Services department
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