PORT ANGELES – The city of Port Angeles is taking, what officials hope, is a big step toward addressing the area’s housing crisis.

This week, the city council approved a contract with a company to conduct a formal housing needs assessment.

The assessment is part of a plan the city is developing to find out ways to ease the housing crunch and make more affordable housing available.

The city will pay $35,000 to Beckwith Consulting Group to look at the current state of housing in the city and determine the actual needs.

The city’s study is like one being conducted by the same company for the city of Sequim.