What We're Working On - March 2023

2023 is off to a great start! Building off a busy end of year, we're working on impactful local and statewide policy issues, including transportation, affordable housing, municipal finance, and land use planning.

Take a look at some of our current projects:

Pierce County Road Fund Sustainability. We are assessing the long-term sustainability of the County Road Fund, which includes planning for and maintaining more than 1,550 miles of roadway and 150 bridges. Given the constrained resources available to support the fund, we are reviewing potential policy options for the County to consider to cover future funding gaps.

Perigee Fund Paid Family Medical Leave Outreach Evaluation. To promote a more equitable uptake of PFML in Washington state among workers who have historically lacked access to paid family leave, Perigee Fund made a series of multi-year investments in education, outreach, capacity building, policy advocacy, and data analysis and evaluation. BERK is working alongside Perigee Fund and other partners to support learning and evaluation of the outreach and capacity building efforts by community based organizations in Pierce and Yakima counties. (Photo credit: Raul Angel)

Racially Disparate Impacts, Displacement, and Exclusion in Housing: Implementing HB1220. We are working with the Department of Commerce to develop guidance for local jurisdictions to meet new GMA requirements related to addressing and undoing racially disparate impacts. The guidance includes a recommended approach and methodology, data and tool resources for local planners, and a menu of policy options that could be used to undo racially disparate impacts, displacements, and exclusion. The Guidance is being developed in partnership with an Advisory Work Group of planners from a wide variety of communities and locales across Washington state.

South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SKHHP) Affordable Housing Inventory and Monitoring Program. Our GIS team is building a database, online mapping system, and dashboard for monitoring both regulated and unregulated affordable housing stock across South King County. The intent of this information management system is to quantify the affordable housing inventory, track progress toward production targets, identify “naturally occurring affordable housing” at risk of displacement, and inform local affordable housing preservation strategies.