Pierce County Human Services is allocating $11.4 million to support five affordable housing projects across the region, with the goal of adding and preserving 220 affordable homes. The funding is intended to address a range of housing needs and will be deployed across multiple sites rather than a single property.
The new commitment builds on the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act, which is funded by a one-tenth of 1% local sales tax that the County began collecting in mid 2023. Since collections started, this dedicated revenue stream has supported a total of 1,545 affordable homes that have been built or preserved, including the latest round of projects.
County officials describe the program as a tool to provide more stability for residents who face housing insecurity. Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said the new affordable housing units will help hundreds of people across the county, emphasizing that the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act is delivering tangible benefits for vulnerable residents and working families.
The five projects supported by the latest funding round span both urban and suburban locations, reflecting a strategy to distribute affordable housing throughout the region rather than concentrating it in a single area. The portfolio includes both new construction and rehabilitation efforts, indicating that the County is using the program to extend the life of existing affordable stock as well as to add new units.
In addition to direct project funding, Pierce County is adjusting its regulatory and infrastructure framework to improve access to housing. The County has approved new cottage housing regulations designed to create a pathway for smaller, more affordable homes, which may broaden the range of attainable options for lower- and moderate-income households.
To support the physical feasibility of these initiatives, the County has secured $2.7 million in state funding to pay for essential infrastructure. That state contribution is intended to complement the local sales tax revenue by helping to cover core needs such as utilities and related improvements that are critical to bringing new housing online.
Taken together, the targeted investment in five projects, the running total of 1,545 homes built or preserved under the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act, and the combination of regulatory changes and infrastructure funding underscore a policy-driven approach to expanding and maintaining the region’s affordable housing inventory.
