Everyone agrees that we need to protect Island County’s beautiful environment. But we also need affordable housing—especially since our young people and workforce can’t afford to live here.
We can have both—If we do it right and do it smart.
We can build smart to protect the environment, manage traffic AND build housing our workforce can afford.
Oak Harbor is not building enough housing to meet the needs of our valued community members, such as teachers, nurses, public safety workers, military personnel and our children.
Recent studies show that the traffic impact of well-planned housing will be minimal. New housing projects all require traffic studies to assess community impact. In fact, additional housing in Oak Harbor will probably reduce commuting time.
New housing options would allow more Oak Harbor residents to downsize and still remain in the community they love.
Oak Harbor is planned well and has sufficient water resources to support new housing now and in the future.
Read the study and the North Puget Sound Association of REALTORS® recommendations for addressing housing needs in Island County
Additional information on how the City of Oak Harbor plans to address housing needs can be found on their website at www.oakharborwa.org. Here you can find information on Development Services, Municipal Codes, Public Works and more.