In an effort to support new housing and social services, Clatsop County has identified surplus land that can be developed by cities and nonprofits.

The county last Friday issued a request for expressions of interest on 15 properties in Astoria, Warrenton and Seaside that can be used for low-income housing, social services and child care.

Parties will have until May 13 to submit their ideas.

“Offering potentially buildable surplus land is one way the county can tangibly support affordable housing needs within cities,” County Manager Don Bohn said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with our city and nonprofit partners in an effort to move the needle.”

Patty Jo Angelini, the county’s public affairs officer, said the county started working with the Association of Oregon Counties and Angelo Planning Group, a Portland-based company, early last year to identify tools to help alleviate the affordable housing shortage.

“Over the last year, local cities have been forming committees, looking into solutions and listening to concerns of residents and local businesses,” Angelini said in an email. “Although the county is limited in what we can do, we want to do all that we can do.”

The expressions of interest will be reviewed by the county and cities. County staff will make recommendations to the county Board of Commissioners.

Eight of the properties are in Astoria. One is the site of the former Darigold Building on the corner of Ninth and Duane streets. The others are vacant neighboring parcels located between Olney Avenue and Astoria Middle School.

The county has three properties in Warrenton, including more than 14 acres off of Ridge Road, 11 acres to the north of S.W. Ninth Street and east of Juniper Avenue, and about 3 acres of off S.W. 11th Street. The smaller property is almost fully covered in significant wetlands, and the others have portions covered by wetlands.

In Seaside, the county has two neighboring parcels zoned industrial. One has access from N. Holladay Drive near 24th Avenue, the other has access from U.S. Highway 101.

Two other properties in Seaside sit along Neawanna Creek. One is off of 12th Street and the other is near Fifth Avenue.

The property near Fifth does not have direct access and has development constraints, so it has been identified as a poor candidate for affordable housing.

Astoria city councilors plan to review possible sites with county leaders during a city work session next Friday.

The county plans on convening county and city leaders at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds on May 18 to discuss affordable housing, micro-housing and homeless services.

Housing has been a significant public policy issue for the past several years. A countywide housing study released in 2019 found that while there was sufficient supply, much of the housing stock serves the second-home and vacation rental market, leaving a lack of housing for residents to buy or rent.

County and city leaders have faced criticism for the pace of their response to the housing crunch.

The county’s announcement on surplus property came a week after the Astoria City Council backed away from a workforce housing project at Heritage Square over concerns about the cost and vocal community opposition.