Issues with high vacancies, rising operating costs, and federal funding cuts are hitting affordable housing providers hard. The Seattle Office of Housing has stemmed the bleeding with operating support, but broader fixes are needed.
A handful of new affordable housing complexes in the Central District and South End are providing some welcome relief to apartment-seekers amidst a housing affordability crunch. Leaders from Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and SouthEast Effective Development (SEED) shared what’s in store.
The Washington Association of Fire Marshals is proposing changes to Washington state building code that would require five-foot wide access path to accessory dwelling units, but builders paint the requirement as overkill, adding another obstacle to housing development.
The progressives running for the four Burien City Council seats up this year have the upper hand based on primary results. Sam Méndez, Hugo Garcia, Sarah Moore, and Rocco DeVito will have to close the deal in November to flip the council.
Tacoma faces a pivotal August 5 primary in which voters will narrow field for mayor and city council seats. Housing, gun violence, and pedestrian safety have emerged as pressing issues in the Grit City.
King County celebrated the opening of a new 2.2-mile segment of the Lake to Sound Trail in SeaTac earlier this month. When complete, the 16-mile non-motorized trail will stretch from the southern tip of Lake Washington in Renton to the shores of Puget Sound in Des Moines.
Inside the complicated calculations that determine if affordable housing gets built on King County’s Eastside and how A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) finds itself in the middle of it all.
After weathering a budget scare, Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative is growing, with $22 million in new awards aimed at combating displacement and anchoring communities of color.
The Harrell Administration has proposed changes to the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) that housing advocates warn could cause the affordable housing program to “collapse entirely.”
Shaun Scott, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Ryan Mello, and Jessica Bateman will bring progressive urbanist leadership to their respective offices.