Join House Our Neighbors for a Prop 1A campaign kick-off event 5:30pm Saturday.
Seattle urgently needs a social housing response to match the magnitude and scale of our housing and homelessness crises right now. The scale of the crisis has grown so much in the last decade that it now affects residents of not just low income but middle and higher income as well. Thus far, our policy response to this crisis has focused mostly on those earning less than 60% area median income. However, this approach does not serve the whole rent-burdened population.
To provide affordable housing to everyone who needs it, we need to rapidly build publicly-owned social housing. Building social housing means educators, nurses, firefighters, bus drivers, and reporters can access guaranteed affordable housing that they deserve.
Seattle voters have an opportunity to fund social housing by taxing wealthy corporations this February 11th, 2025. On your ballot will be Proposition 1A, a voter initiative that received over 30,000 signatures from Seattle voters. Prop 1A would levy a marginal payroll tax on employers who compensate any individual employees more above $1 million annually, taxing 5% of that compensation above the first $1 million. This would generate roughly $53 million per year by taxing the wealthiest businesses who operate in Seattle.
If passed, Prop 1A will create a guaranteed revenue stream for the Seattle Social Housing Developer to build and acquire social housing at scale.
In the weeks leading up to the February 11th election, the Let’s Build Social Housing campaign will be talking to voters all across the city. Based on voter turnout projections, we will need to reach tens of thousands of voters and ask them to vote yes on Prop 1A for it to pass with a simple majority. Turning out enough voters to pass Prop 1A will take an enormous get out the vote campaign by knocking on thousands of doors, calling voters, tabling at events, stickering, postering, writing postcards, and more.
These efforts will begin with our field kick-off event tomorrow, Saturday November 9th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. The kick-off will have activities, refreshments, and an update from field staff about our strategy to win funding for social housing at the ballot with your help. The kickoff is at 800 Hiawatha Place S. RSVP here.
This is an opportunity to learn about social housing in Seattle, the Prop 1A ballot initiative, and how you can help Seattle voters make a historic investment in permanently affordable social housing for all.
We hope to see you there!
