Housing Mini-Academy for Elected Leaders Is Launched

Rick Mohler, FAIA, DPACSA, NCARB 

The inaugural Housing Mini-Academy for Elected Leaders launched on Friday, May 15, bringing together policymakers, housing advocates, planners, and educators from across Washington State to address the growing housing affordability crisis. Funded through an APA CPC Grant awarded by the American Planning Association Washington Chapter together with support from Puget Sound Regional Council, Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County, and the University of Washington College of Built Environments, the Housing Mini-Academy is a replicable, compact, high-impact educational program designed to equip elected officials and legislative staff with practical tools for advancing housing affordability in their communities.

Fourteen presenters from across the state introduced participants to the human impacts of the housing crisis, emerging strategies for land use reform, innovative affordable housing finance models, and policy approaches aimed at reducing development costs, including modern methods of construction. The program was designed to bridge the gap between public officials and housing-sector experts, helping policymakers better understand the barriers to housing production and affordability while strengthening their ability to engage communities in housing conversations.

To support statewide participation without requiring extensive travel, the Mini-Academy operated through four virtually connected regional hubs. Live presentations originated from the Seattle hub hosted at the offices of the Puget Sound Regional Council. Additional in-person hubs were hosted by the Whatcom Council of Governments, the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments, and the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments. Approximately sixty participants attended in person at the Seattle hub, with additional attendees participating at the regional hubs and through an online webinar format. Ten student staff members from Western Washington University and the University of Washington also participated at the WCOG and PSRC locations.

The Mini-Academy core planning team included Paul Inghram and Heather Culver of the Puget Sound Regional Council, Patience Malaba of the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County, Rick Mohler of the University of Washington College of Built Environments, Paula Reeves of the Washington State Transportation Center, and UW student Ali Ahmed. Special thanks are due to Anne Broache and Chad Eiken for their leadership in securing and administering the APA CPC Grant.