Affordable Housing: A Regional Issue

Contrary to the national housing slump, Wenatchee area cities have bucked trends. Homes have sold quickly and at higher prices. As people moved into the area from elsewhere, costs have increased and many locals are pushed out of the local housing market.

Today:

• Nearly 90 percent of housing in the Upper Valley are second homes;¹
• More than half of the Leavenworth workforce commutes¹; and
• Chelan’s assessed value grew 51 percent between 1998 and 2007, while the population only increased 18 percent.

Wenatchee-area city officials responding to AWC’s survey say housing is one of the most important issues that must be addressed in the next four years.

Even with neighboring East Wenatchee doubling in size since 2000, Wenatchee’s housing availability is at a minimum. Wenatchee’s rental vacancy rate is 1.8 percent (healthy vacancy is around five percent). The city council is working to promote density, but finds citizens and developers continue to prefer low-density housing.

¹ Wenatchee World, “Study tracks Upper Valley housing problem,” September 30, 2008

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