The restrictive nature of the state’s Growth Management Act, the lack of available units and delays in permits are all factors many community and government leaders agree are contributing to the county’s affordable housing crisis.

Whether or not there’s sufficient “buildable land,” who is responsible for the crisis and the adequacy of local governments’ response are still a points of contention.

Leaders from across Island County gathered Thursday night in Oak Harbor to discuss the issue at a forum hosted by the North Puget Sound Association of Realtors. A consultant hired by the association presented his results and conclusions based on a study he completed last July examining Island County’s housing needs.

The consultant, Michael Luis, said the main drivers of the county’s population are the Navy, civilian jobs, commuters, retirees and vacation homes. He said his data showed that money from higher-paying jobs outside the county and investments from wealthy retirees was driving up housing prices.

Leaders from nonprofits, developers, real estate agents, city and county planners and other interested parties discussed ways to address the growing affordability problem. Oak Harbor City Councilman Jim Woessner said many of the issues are “top-down” problems caused by restrictions in the state GMA. He said many people there agree that the solutions will also have to come from the state level.

“We need allowances for (the fact) that we are a unique community,” he said.

Some unique factors discussed were the growth in vacation homes, especially on the south end of the island. Freeland, which is becoming a non-municipal urban growth area, is also restricted by septic capacity because it lacks a sewer system.

Orin Kolaitis, head of Habitat for Humanity of Island County, agreed that state regulations have made building difficult. He added there needs to be more lots with enough density.

The GMA requires that the majority of growth be in areas designated as urban growth areas, or UGAs, which are supposed to have capacity for 20 years of growth. The idea is to promote infill and avoid urban sprawl. However, Island County has historically had most of its growth occur in rural areas. The size of Oak Harbor’s UGA has been at the center of controversy and recent litigation, with the face of the fight being the developer Wright’s Crossing LLC.

Scott Thompson, Wright’s Crossing’s principal investor, was present Thursday night. The LLC sought a number of legal avenues to challenge the county’s decision in 2017 to not docket its proposal to expand the city’s UGA.

Thompson made his case again Thursday that there is not significant capacity within the current limits to sustain enough growth.

County Commissioner Jill Johnson stood by the county’s assessment of available buildable lands, saying staff “oversized it” to accommodate higher-than-expected growth. She also noted Thursday that there is language in countywide planning policy to reevaluate the boundaries if population growth exceeds what was projected.

Luis’ projected population numbers given at the forum were calculated based on a different set of assumptions and is higher than the county’s. He had presented his study’s findings at an Island County Council of Government meeting last November. The county planning department also completed a housing needs analysis in December 2017 as part of an update to the housing element of the comprehensive plan.

While the population projections differ in the two reports, the conclusions are largely the same; there needs to be more diverse housing options available for people working within the county. This is especially driven by the fact that employment options on the island outside of the Navy are generally lower paying.

“If you’re working in Island County, the chances are you’re probably not making a lot of money,” Luis said Thursday night.

The county’s analysis also found there is a significant deficit in available stock, especially for households making $50,000 a year and below.

Those present discussed streamlining the permitting process and finding ways to attract more builders to the area. County planner Meredith Penny suggested that many local contractors may be reluctant to build multi-family units because of the large amount of capital needed and the perceived risk of building in an area with a smaller population.

Oak Harbor Mayor Bob Severns said he thought the demand in North Whidbey would “easily” support more builders.

At the conclusion of the forum, Luis said whatever solution local leaders find, it needs to be cooperative. He also suggested that potential limitations from the GMA will only “be corrected by a coalition of rural counties.”