Clark County was awarded two 2024 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards from the Washington State Department of Commerce. Twelve awards were granted, and Clark County is one of only two local jurisdictions that received more than one award this year.

The Clark County Aging Readiness Plan (ARP) update received the Judge’s Merit award which recognizes success in more than one judged category. The ARP identifies strategies to improve the community’s capacity to support its growing older population for all of the jurisdictions within the county.

“The Clark County Commission on Aging is excited to have our updated Aging Readiness Plan chosen for recognition with the Governor's 2024 Smart Vision Award,” said Franklin Johnson, Clark County Commission on Aging (COA) Chair. COA is an appointed nine-member volunteer commission charged with providing leadership addressing the needs of aging community members.

“We want to thank all the Clark County staff who worked so hard on the Plan and nomination for the award. The Commission especially wants to express appreciation to all the residents who participated in the community workshops providing their input, and of course our appreciation to the Clark County Council for their support and funding to get the Plan updated. The updating of the plan and the implementation of the strategies will help support an age-friendly community that Clark County older adults can thrive in.”

The Middle Housing and Low-Density Residential Code Amendments to implement the Housing Options Study and Action Plan (HOSAP) will receive a housing award, which highlights projects that address housing affordability in a meaningful way. The code changes are intended to enhance the feasibility of smaller single-family homes including dwelling types like Accessory Dwelling Units, tri and quadplexes, cottage housing, compact lots and townhomes. 

“I was excited to learn that the county is being awarded the Governor’s 2024 Smart Housing Strategies Award. Nearly 60% of Clark County households are comprised of one or two people, such as empty nesters, retirees, young couples, single parent households, and single adults,” said Kathleen Otto, County Manager. 

“The awarded project aims to expand opportunities to create additional smaller homes that can meet the needs of these types of households and expand homeownership possibilities for many Clark County residents. I appreciate the hard work of everyone involved with the project to make these important changes for our community.” 

The Governor’s Smart Communities Awards highlight effective implementation of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) and other local or regional planning procedures. Winners are nominated by a panel of independent judges from across the state and approved by the Governor’s Office.  Learn more at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/growth-management/smart-communities/.

Additional information is available at:

• ARP https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/aging-readiness-plan. 
• Commission on Aging https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/commission-aging 
• HOSAP and related code changes https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/housing-options-study-and-action-plan.

CONTACT:
Oliver Orjiako, Community Planning Director
564.397.4112, orjiako.oliver@clark.wa.gov 

Susan Ellinger, Community Planning 
564.397.4516, susan.ellinger@clark.wa.gov