Housing
Housing
Manzanita depends on service workers—in restaurants, grocery stores, and retail shops; on landscape maintenance crews and as housecleaners; and in gas stations. Our community would not function without them. But where can they afford to live?
In this issue Manzanita Today begins an occasional look at our region’s population trends using census data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Portland State University Population Research Center (PSU PRC). This article will examine the characteristics of the area’s housing stock.
Our November article in this housing series looked at the need for affordable and workforce housing. In December, we covered the scope of the state and Tillamook County housing needs. In this article we take a closer look at the likely impacts of recent housing legislation on Tillamook County communities.
Manzanita’s Public Works Department hired Jonathan Lassiter as a utility worker in 2021. At the time, he lived with his family in a rental house about eight miles east of Tillamook on the Wilson River Highway (SR 6), a commute of 45-60 minutes. As a condition of employment, the department requires workers to be on call periodically to respond to emergencies within 20 minutes.
In our first housing article last month, we discussed “workforce housing” and how that fits into the larger housing affordability problem. In this second of the series, we put some numbers on the size and components of the housing shortage in the state and county. We also discuss recent state legislation aimed at producing more housing units to reduce that shortage.
Our November article in this housing series looked at the need for affordable and workforce housing. In December, we covered the scope of the state and Tillamook County housing needs. In this article we take a closer look at the likely impacts of recent housing legislation on Tillamook County communities.
The Oregon Legislature approved Senate Bill 406 last year. This legislation sets two new mandates specifically for Tillamook County cities and urbanized, unincorporated areas. The seven cities are Tillamook, Bay City, Garibaldi, Rockaway Beach, Wheeler, Nehalem, and Manzanita. The eight unincorporated areas, defined as 'cities' in the legislation for the sole purpose of housing planning, are Barview/Twin Rocks/Watseco, Cloverdale, Hebo, Neahkahnie, Neskowin, Netarts, Oceanside, and Pacific City/Woods. The Tillamook County cities must now make planning and housing decisions that were previously required of larger cities.