Clatsop County’s Housing Dashboard

• Clatsop County was selected to participate in Project Turnkey 2.0, working with Oregon Community Foundation to create transitional housing at the current Columbia Inn. The Columbia Inn opened in October 2023 and provides 50 shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness in Clatsop County. It is operated by Clatsop Community Action. 

   

• Clatsop County requested of Governor Tina Kotek that we be included in her homeless state of emergency declaration. EO-23-02 After demonstrating the need in Clatsop County, the Governor included the county as one of the affected counties in EO 23-02. The county convened a Multi-Agency Coordination Group as required by the state ad was awarded $3.8 million dollars to provide homeless shelter beds and rapid rehousing services. 
   

• Clatsop County has evaluated surplus county-owned property to determine whether any of the property is suitable for housing development. The Board of Commissioners held a work session in October 2023 to review the evaluation of properties and directed staff to proceed with further consideration of suitable properties for development of housing. Two properties totaling 1.85 acres were transferred to the City of Seaside in 2022 for development of affordable housing.
   

• Clatsop County has been looking at ways to make code changes that will encourage the production of housing in the county. The Board of County Commissioners held a work session in October 2023 to review and provide direction to staff regarding the proposed code changes.

• Clatsop County has been awarded a Housing Planning Assistance Grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. This will build on the 2019 Housing Study and provide important research and data about the land, infrastructure, and building needs for all five cities and the unincorporated areas in Clatsop County. The Clatsop County Regional Housing Task Force will serve as the steering committee for this project.  

• The task force is composed of representatives from each city and the County (elected officials and staff), as well as local school districts and hospitals, partnering together to identify and support regional solutions that can address residents’ housing needs.
   
• Task force Facilitator: Denise E. Lofman, Director – Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST)
  • Phone: (562) 714-0066
  • Email: dlofman [at] columbiaestuary.org
     
• Commissioner John Toyooka represents Clatsop County as a member of this task force.
   
• Since July 2022, the task force continues to meet on a monthly basis and is focused on identifying actionable steps of highest priority

For this web app, affordable housing means: 

Emergency Shelter

• Provides immediate and temporary shelter for persons that are unhoused

Transitional Housing

• Provides housing and supportive services needed to successfully transition someone to permanent housing
• Length of stay is often limited to 1-2 years

Permanent Supportive Housing

• Provides needed housing assistance and/or supportive services (community based services, disability services, etc.) for at least one member of the household to ensure housing stability
• Permanent affordable housing for low-, very low-, and extremely low-income individuals/households (see AMI definitions below under “How HUD defines affordable housing”)

Other Permanent Housing

• Permanent affordable housing for low-, very low-, and extremely low-income individuals/households (see AMI definitions below under “How HUD defines affordable housing”)
• Does not include supportive services

These affordable housing categories come from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Assistance Programs Housing Inventory County Reports. 

They are also used in the nation-wide information system called Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), which is used to collect and track data on the provision of housing, shelter, and services for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines affordable housing as any housing that costs an owner or renter no more than 30% of their gross household income, including utilities.

Area Median Income (AMI) – Calculated by HUD annually for different communities. 

By definition, 50% of households within the specified geographic area earn less than Area Median Income (AMI), and 50% earn more. AMI is adjusted based on household size and used to determine the eligibility of applicants for federally and locally funded housing programs.

• LOW-INCOME: Households earning at or below 80% AMI.
• VERY LOW-INCOME: Households earning at or below 50% AMI.
• EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME: Households earning at or below 30% AMI.

HUD’s 2023 income limit estimations for Clatsop County:

Median Family/Household Income: $91,100

                                                                        Persons in Family/Household

The Urban Land Institute defines workforce households as those with incomes between 60 and 120 percent of area median income (AMI).

Building on this definition, Clatsop County currently uses the following AMI ranges to define affordable, workforce, and market rate housing: 

Housing development projects are added to the web app by County and city staff, using this survey.

Scheduled – quarterly (approximately January, April, July, and October)
Immediate—County and city staff may arapinchuk [at] clatsopcounty.gov (subject: Project%20Update%20%28for%20Housing%20Development%20Web%20App%29) (email) project updates at any time.

Should you have any questions or feedback about current projects or missing/incorrect information, please contact the jurisdiction in which the project is located.

• City of Astoria - Community Development
• City of Cannon Beach - Building
• City of Gearhart - City Planning/Public Works
• City of Seaside - Building
• City of Warrenton - Building
• Unincorporated Clatsop County - Community Development

Below are lists of completed housing studies/reports with information specific to one or more areas in Clatsop County. Please click on the title to view the document.
 

Funded by Clatsop County, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Gearhart, Seaside, and/or Warrenton:

Funded by 3rd Parties: