Sequim must increase its supply of affordable housing to maintain its quality of life, consultant Tom Beckwith said at Monday's city council meeting.

So city staff will bring the city council a contract for a second consultant study, potential financing sources for the study and potential partnerships to provide more affordable housing.

The second study will evaluate how to improve zoning and building policies and regulatory measures and how to encourage more affordable housing in the city.

Beckwith presented the city's affordable housing subcommittee's "housing needs assessment" to the council Monday night.

The subcommittee included members from Sequim's city council and planning commission, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and Clallam County Housing Authority.

It held eight working sessions plus a workshop with lenders and builders and interviewed nonprofit agency officials.

Beckwith said the assessment used 2009 data from the county, state, Clallam County Housing Authority and Washington Center for Real Estate Research plus the 2000 U.S. Census.

The definition of "affordable housing" came from the federal government, which defines it as an average household paying no more than 30 percent of all income for all housing costs, including utilities, Beckwith said.

The assessment's highlights included:

_ Sequim's projected population growth is significantly higher than any comparable area in the state.

_ A significant portion of that growth will continue to be from the older, empty nester and retirement age households, continuing the "aging" of Sequim.

_ Sequim's average household size is significantly lower than any comparable area in the state.

_ Sequim has one employee for every 3.9 residents, which is almost double any other comparable area in the state, reflecting the city's retired population.

_ Sequim's "sustenance," or number of service industry workers per resident, was significantly lower than any comparable area of the state.

_ For a comparable-sized city, Sequim should have employed and housed 612 more service workers in 2000 than it did.

_ Sequim will need 4,589 more service industry workers living in the city by 2020 to achieve sustenance given its projected population growth.

_ In 2000, Sequim household income averaged $27,880, which could buy a house worth $103,768. By 2007, the median value of a Sequim house was $290,532, which would require a household income of $80,000 or more.

_ In 2000, the median household income of "critical skill workers" such as police officers and firefighters was between $46,000 and $49,000, higher than the average

Sequim household income of $27,880.

_ By 2007, the median value of a house sold in Sequim was $290,532 or "significantly above" the purchasing power of those "critical skill workers."

_ In 2000, 37.4 percent of all Sequim households at all income levels had problems such as paying more than 30 percent of income for housing, lack of plumbing or overcrowding, which was "significantly higher" than any comparable area in the state.

Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@sequimgazette.com.