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PORT ANGELES – The City of Port Angeles has begun it’s search for a consultant to conduct a Housing Needs Assessment to help figure out the causes of, and solutions to, the City’s housing shortage.

It’s one phase of a battle being fought on multiple fronts. A Housing Task Force has also been formed made up of builders, lenders, local and state government, non-profits and more to look for answers.

One issue that gets mentioned a lot by builders as being particularly cumbersome within city limits is the stormwater treatment permit. The Federal Clean Water Act has led the State Department of Ecology to impose expensive requirements that keep a lot of housing projects from going forward.

The City Council met a representative from Ecology this month to see what could be done, and it sounds like Councilmember Cherie Kidd gave him an earful.

Mayor Sissi Bruch told us that she came away from the meeting feeling encouraged that progress is imminent.

Mayor Bruch says it’s time now for the City to start working with Ecology to find the cities around the country that have developed these “cheat sheets” over the years and get our local developers up to speed on the possibilities.

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