Unwelcome Mat: Mapping Displacement Risk--Tracking Gentrification in Northwest Washington as Land Use and Affordability Shift

Populated regions in Washington state face increasing growth pressures that present challenges for people struggling to find and afford housing. As the Growth Management Act regulates Urban Growth Boundaries in planning counties across the state, the demand for real estate within these boundaries rises rapidly. As a result, many residents face displacement pressures that force them out of their homes for economic, physical, or cultural reasons. Housing displacement poses threats to the wellbeing and safety of the community and the character of rapidly changing neighborhoods. To address and mitigate displacement, jurisdictions must first determine what areas and populations are at risk. This project uses methodology adapted from the Puget Sound Regional Council’s 2019 Displacement Risk Mapping to determine displacement risk by census tract in Whatcom and Skagit counties, the two northwesternmost counties in Washington State. It weighs 19 indicators across 6 different categories to create a displacement risk index score for each census tract. The index includes factors related to socio-demographics, transportation, housing, neighborhood amenities, employment, and civic engagement. Comprehensively identifying displacement risk helps under-resourced jurisdictions identify where to allocate resources to mitigate displacement and can help guide planning and policy decisions.