CDBG Fair Housing Letter
City of Yelm
Community Development Department
105 Yelm Avenue West
P.O. Box 479
Yelm, WA 98597
December 23, 2003
Kaaren Roe, CDBG Project Manager
Washington Department of Community,
Trade, and Economic Development
P.O. Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504
Dear Ms. Roe:
This letter should serve as documentation that the City of Yelm has reviewed it’s development regulations, including Title 17 Yelm Municipal Code (Zoning), for their effect on fair housing
objectives. Yelm has concluded that the Zoning laws currently in place serve to implement the objectives of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act (the “Fair Housing Law”).
The Yelm Comprehensive Plan contains a number of goals which address fair housing, including policies which:
Ensure a sufficient housing supply for the 20 year planning horizon.
Encourage a variety of housing types and densities and a range of affordable housing.
Encourage the provision of adequate affordable building sites through appropriate zoning, infrastructure, and the overall regulatory climate.
Permit a variety of housing types within the residential and mixed use designations to promote the range of alternatives within the community, including but not limited to government
assisted housing, housing for low-income families, manufactured housing, multi-family housing, group and foster homes.
Encourage housing with a pedestrian orientation in order to promote a sense of community and safety.
Meet County-wide planning policy requirements to ensure a fair share of affordable housing.
Encourage housing that meets adequate safety standards.
Continue to adopt the most up-to-date and safest building, housing, mechanical and other codes.
Require owners of unsafe dwelling units to correct significant problems.
Conserve and improve the existing housing stock and neighborhoods.
Support rehabilitation efforts for substandard housing.
Encourage and facilitate economic development as an important element of improving housing conditions by providing economic opportunity.
These policies are carried out through Yelm’s Zoning Code and development guidelines, which provide residential densities of 4 units per acre to 16 units per acre and allow single family
dwellings, duplexes, apartments, townhouses, mobile home parks, accessory dwelling units, transitional housing, group homes, and foster care facilities.
Yelm’s Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Code, and Development Guidelines provide housing opportunities for all citizens regardless of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, handicap,
or national origin. Yelm’s regulations also provide a clear and consistent set of rules and a predictable and transparent permitting process.
Sincerely,
Grant Beck, Director
Department of Community Development