Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington has just under 3,000 students and serves a region with a bit less than 100,000 people total. It is a community college but has some four-year programs.
It's an important asset for a region of small towns and rural residents and has several satellite programs to better serve the region. Yet, it has no dorms.
Small, affordable rental units in South Aberdeen and downtown Aberdeen that would be appropriate for students, seniors and other small households are badly needed.
Some very, very ballpark figures and observations based on years of housing research and participation in local community development programs:
So maybe a point system or something and if you have a wait list or too many applicants, decide who gets approved in part based on student status, senior status and low income status.
I would like to see a world where such units are nice enough to appeal to wealthy vacationers as a pied a terre -- as a small space they pay for year-round but only use part-time for vacations -- without the undesirable outcome of crowding out and pricing out locals. One tentative solution I have thought of: Require some percentage of residents to be using their units as their primary residence or only residence and allow some percentage to be part-time occupied vacation units.
Footnote
It's an important asset for a region of small towns and rural residents and has several satellite programs to better serve the region. Yet, it has no dorms.
Small, affordable rental units in South Aberdeen and downtown Aberdeen that would be appropriate for students, seniors and other small households are badly needed.
Some very, very ballpark figures and observations based on years of housing research and participation in local community development programs:
- If you could design small units where you charged separately for parking spaces and get it approved, Aberdeen likely could support AT LEAST 170 new units split between downtown and South Aberdeen near the college campus.
- If you built fifty small units near the campus and had to make a wait list for everyone wanting to get in on it, you could infer that you could build more and readily fill them.
- Aberdeen is a retirement community with reliable electricity and internet, so it is well positioned to appeal to remote workers IF they can find appropriate housing for their needs.
So maybe a point system or something and if you have a wait list or too many applicants, decide who gets approved in part based on student status, senior status and low income status.
I would like to see a world where such units are nice enough to appeal to wealthy vacationers as a pied a terre -- as a small space they pay for year-round but only use part-time for vacations -- without the undesirable outcome of crowding out and pricing out locals. One tentative solution I have thought of: Require some percentage of residents to be using their units as their primary residence or only residence and allow some percentage to be part-time occupied vacation units.
Footnote
Originally published elsewhere on December 16, 2023. Edited slightly.