Part 0 - Jefferson County: "Stuck by Design"

Part 0: Why This Series Exists

For years, people have described East Jefferson County’s housing market as “tight,” “expensive,” or simply “impossible.” Those impressions are not wrong—but they are incomplete. Those who know me know that I am passionate about advocacy, I believe in community, I love real estate, and I am fascinated by the power of AI. What follows is the confluence of all of these.

Our community is facing a logjam in our efforts to effectively advocate for housing issues. So many voices, so many conflicting opinions, differing agendas. Life is unreasonably complex and so nuanced that trying to address something as fundamental as the basic human right to housing can start to feel like a mental game of whack‑a‑mole: solve one piece, and three more pop up.

My intent with this series is simple: to provide information, because information is the engine of advocacy. When we share a common set of facts, we can disagree honestly about values and priorities without talking past each other. Good advocacy starts with clear understanding.

This series takes a sober, data‑driven look at what is actually happening in our local market, why it’s happening, and what it means for the people who live and work here. Drawing on public data, local planning documents, and on‑the‑ground experience, I’ll walk through current prices and inventory, dig into the differences between Port Townsend, the Tri‑Area, and Hood Canal communities, and unpack the deeper structural forces—policy, infrastructure, demographics, and economics—that shape what gets built and who can afford to live here. My goal is not to talk the market up or down, but to give East Jefferson County residents a clear, honest framework they can use to make decisions, advocate for better policy, and see how their own story fits into the larger picture.

Here’s how the journey is likely to unfold:

Part 1 – Where We Are Now
A clear snapshot of today’s East Jefferson County market: prices, inventory, days on market, and what “stuck” actually looks like on the ground.

Part 2 – The Map Inside the Market
How Port Townsend, the Tri‑Area (Port Hadlock/Irondale/Chimacum), and Hood Canal communities (Quilcene/Brinnon) behave very differently—and why that matters for both buyers and sellers.

Part 3 – How We Got Here
From pre‑COVID tightening to the “Zoom town” era and the interest‑rate shock that followed: the story of the last decade in plain language.

Part 4 – Affordability and Who Can Buy
Income, prices, and the growing gap between what homes cost and what local work pays—and how that shapes who moves here and who gets pushed out.

Part 5 – Policy, Planning, and Non‑Decisions
The role of zoning, UGAs, sewer delays, and local politics in creating (and sustaining) our current housing reality.

Part 6 – The Economics of Building Here
Why it costs what it costs to build in East Jefferson County, and why private development alone can’t solve our affordability problem.

Part 7 – Short‑Term Rentals, Second Homes, and Scarcity
How STRs and seasonal homes affect year‑round housing availability, and what recent rules can—and can’t—do about it.

Part 8 – Regional Context
How East Jefferson County compares to neighbors like Clallam, Kitsap, Island, and San Juan—and what’s unique about us.

Part 9 – Possible Futures
A look at realistic scenarios for the next 3–5 years and the key variables that could push us toward better—or worse—outcomes.

Part 10 – From Information to Advocacy
Concrete ideas for residents, local leaders, and advocates who want to move from frustration to focused action.