SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD: Langley needs 115 new homes in next decade, study finds (AUDIO)

Kira Erickson reports from the Langley City Council meeting of Mon., Oct. 3:

The city of Langley will require a total of 115 new dwelling units to be constructed within the coming decade to meet the projected population growth and ensuing demand for housing, according to a recent report detailing the city’s housing assessment needs.

They Said It

Councilmember Craig Cyr said it was fascinating to see all the numbers.

“Langley has told itself the story in the past that it’s an affluent community,” he said. “I’ve actually heard that statement in a council meeting when I first joined the council, and it’s not true. What we have is affluent individuals inside the city.”

On the other hand, Councilmember Gail Fleming said it was shocking to see the statistic that in 2021, 35% of housing units sold in Langley were not for primary residences.

“This is a big deal,” she said. “A lot of people say, ‘We need to just build more houses and then everything will be fine’ but we have no control over who buys those. If they live somewhere else and they want to have a second home, we can’t say that that’s not okay. That cuts down on what’s available for people who live here.”

Councilmember Rhonda Salerno suggested that second home buyers could potentially be discouraged from buying via higher utility rates.

Councilmember Thomas Gill said the data outlined in the report aligned with things he has known to be true for years.

“We did not get our 2010 development and the city has always kind of grown like clockwork, 20 to 50 units in a neighborhood every 10 years, and we didn’t get one,” he said. “And so now we’re kind of feeling the pinch of that.”