A recent story on families moving into their new homes in the Summerset new-home project ends with the tag quote from Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson: “Poulsbo affordable housing.”

We say: Not so fast, mayor.

To be sure, the self-help financing method for young families, which offers assistance in acquiring a new home by applying sweat equity and down-payment assistance, is a good program and locally successful, but a far cry from affordable housing for those in desperate need.

Recent studies for Kitsap County clearly shows families in need to be those only able to pay between $550 and $650 per month in rent—well below the self-help threshold of monthly payments.

The needed affordable housing is in the form of rental housing, usually government-assisted, and there just isn’t any in Poulsbo.

Addressing the need will take dedicated developers and city, county and federal assistance, which should be addressed in the future planning process for Poulsbo to adequately address the need of all residents at risk of being homeless.

Bill Effinger
Poulsbo