Amendment 24: Affordable Housing Initiative
Clark County Charter Amendment 24 is a commonsense measure to help local leaders make better-informed decisions about housing. It requires a Housing Impact Analysis before the County adopts certain regulations that could directly affect housing capacity, density, permitting, parking requirements, subdivision requirements, or residential construction costs.
Amendment 24 does not dictate how the County Council votes or require a particular housing policy. It simply gives Councilors and the public better information about the potential housing consequences of a proposal before a final decision is made.
What does Amendment 24 do?
Amendment 24 requires Clark County to publish a Housing Impact Analysis before adopting certain County-initiated regulations that could directly affect housing capacity, density, permitting, subdivision requirements, residential parking requirements, or construction costs. The analysis gives County Councilors and the public better information about how proposed policies could affect housing before a final decision is made.
Why is Amendment 24 important?
Housing has become increasingly unaffordable for families across Clark County. While local government cannot control every factor affecting housing costs, decisions about land use, permitting, density, parking, and development regulations can make housing easier or more difficult to build. Amendment 24 helps ensure those potential consequences are considered before new regulations are adopted.
How much will Amendment 24 cost?
Amendment 24 is designed to use reasonably available information and allows the County to prepare an analysis using existing staff or qualified outside professionals. A similar charter requirement has been implemented in Whatcom County without requiring additional staff specifically dedicated to conducting the analysis. Amendment 24 focuses on giving decision-makers useful information without creating an unnecessary new layer of government.
Does Amendment 24 tell the County Council what to do?
No. Amendment 24 does not require the County Council to approve or reject any particular housing policy, nor does it prevent the County from adopting regulations it believes are necessary. It simply requires the potential effects on housing to be analyzed and made public before certain decisions are made, leaving the ultimate policy decision exactly where it belongs: with the elected County Council.
