Committee hears that 19 low-income units were sold as council seeks housing priorities and expert briefings

The Snoqualmie mayor told the Community Development Committee on Feb. 4 that 19 low-income housing units in the city were recently purchased by a developer and that "the occupants have been given eviction notices" as the owner prepares renovations that will convert the building to market-rate units.

The revelation prompted council members to press for both strategies to retain existing affordable housing and options to expand supply. Council member Johnson urged staff to recirculate prior request-for-qualifications/proposals and said zoning changes on the Ridge and allowances for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) could help preserve and add attainable housing.

"My nightmare scenario is that... we get to a point where it sort of gets to, well, we're full," Council member Johnson said, describing the risk of concentrating low-income units in a single location and the need to distribute housing options across the city.

Council member Murphy recommended examining the Urban Growth Area (UGA), underused business-park land and city-owned parcels (including surplus right-of-way) as candidate sites. Murphy also urged staff to present a concise history of housing efforts over the last decade to provide context for new proposals.

The mayor encouraged the committee to prioritize where it wants staff to focus — for example, whether to emphasize 0–30% AMI supportive housing or 80% AMI workforce housing — and said the administration will organize expert briefings and comparative jurisdiction presentations to inform the committee's choices.

What happened
- Mayor reported 19 low-income units were sold and occupants were given eviction notices; staff did not report any city-initiated legal action during the meeting.
- Council requested staff to recirculate previous RFQ/RFP materials, gather expert presenters and return with a prioritized list of housing objectives.
- Members discussed a mix of retention strategies (keeping existing affordable units) and development strategies (zoning, ADUs, using city land and partnerships with nonprofit or private developers).

Why it matters
Losing existing affordable units can displace long-term residents and increase pressure on the remaining housing supply. Committee members said Snoqualmie must balance retaining current stock, avoiding high-concentration solutions and expanding options across neighborhoods.

What's next
Staff committed to returning with summaries of past housing efforts, recirculated RFP materials and presentations from external experts and other jurisdictions. The committee will continue the conversation at its next meeting; no formal policy or funding decisions were adopted at this session.