An organization called Historic Wallingford is proposing to have a section of my home neighborhood encompassing more than 600 homes designated as an historic district in the National Register of Historic Places. Their application is scheduled to be heard by the state committee that administers the program in Washington state
In the first veto of his tenure, Mayor Bruce Harrell struck down a recently passed bill seeking to track more rent data from Seattle landlords. Because that bill passed with five votes and overturning a veto takes six votes, that veto appears likely to stick. In his veto statement, Harrell
On Monday, the Seattle City Council had a busy — and consequential — day of voting on council bills related to renters’ rights in the face of steep rent increases. The Council also voted on an ordinance related to density bonuses for religious institutions building affordable housing. By the end of the
Update: Since this article was initially published, Councilmember Kshama Sawant has formally submitted a resolution calling on the City to “support community demands to fund quality affordable social housing to prevent and reverse displacement” and “urge the Office of Housing to fund the affordable housing project proposed by New Hope
In a 6-3 vote yesterday, the King County Council approved a bill greatly expanding tenant rights in unincorporated King County. Sponsors Girmay Zahilay, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, and Dave Upthegrove introduced the legislation in March, but they ran into headwinds as the Rental Housing Association of Washington (RHA), which represents landlords, fiercely
How Federal Subsidy of Loan Interest Rates Block Missing Middle Housing Earlier in the pandemic, I was searching around Zillow. Looking at houses was a fair alternative to doomscrolling Reddit. One evening, I came across a building for sale. Interesting place in our neighborhood with a couple apartment units and
Landlords came out in force at the King County Council meeting on Tuesday to speak against a proposed tenant rights bill. Unfortunately, their cause was hurt by many of their own talking points being blatantly false. Several County Councilmembers chastised the Rental Housing Association of Washington (RHA) for spreading misinformation
Imagine if you could partner with a developer to build a multiplex or rowhouse on your property, and, in exchange for the land, you were gifted a home in the new development? This is the concept for the “Great Seattle Housing Swap,” an idea that will leverage our residential land
We cannot escape the echoes of history. I live in and own a house in a formerly redlined section of Wallingford. This house was built in 1916, just north of an industrial district, during a period of rapid development in the neighborhood, 47 years after Seattle was re-incorporated in 1869
Being evicted for nonpayment of rent won’t really be a thing for Seattle tenants in 2020–at least if tenants assert the rights they won at city council today. Council President M. Lorena González introduced the emergency ordinance extending the eviction moratorium, which Governor Jay Inslee enacted and Mayor
On Monday, the Seattle City Council by a 7-0 vote passed a winter eviction ban aiming to protect tenants during the three coldest months of the year. Although some cities do bar evictions on days with inclement weather, the policy Seattle just passed would be the most far-reaching in the
Last summer when the Seattle City Council passed legislation that encouraged development of backyard cottages across the city, the move was generally met with enthusiasm from housing advocates promoting increased housing choices in the city’s single family zones. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Jenny Durkan passed an executive order intended to
Years ago I spent a year teaching English in Nice, France, a short train ride from Monaco, a sovereign city-state on the French Riviera famous for its casino, Formula One Grand Prix, and status as a tax haven for international investors. Real estate investment in Monaco provides investors both a
Alex Pedersen appears to not understand property tax in Washington State, despite having worked in government and his claims to “practical experience.” Or maybe he’s intentionally misleading voters to instill fear. He claimed on his campaign site: “Unmitigated upzoning can create economic disruptions and spike land values. Higher land
On October 18th the Queen Anne Community Council filed an appeal to the City of Seattle’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), better known as backyard cottages, basement apartments, and mother-in-law suites. The organization is currently raising money to finance the environmental and legal counsel needed
So why have affluent neighborhood groups like the Queen Anne Community Council resisted proposed policy changes? Last week, the City of Seattle released a Racial Equity Toolkit on Policies for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). This Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) was completed to assess if proposed ADU policies would impact some
The Seattle Times Editorial Board weighed in on pending reform to increase backyard cottage and garage apartments in single family zones and it was as you would expect: completely out of touch with reality. The editorial board opposed the proposed changes, which are expected to increase accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
A coalition of 24 neighborhood groups announced an appeal of the City of Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezone plan. The alliance calls itself the Seattle Coalition for Affordability, Livability, and Equity (SCALE) and threw a litany of complaints at the proposal, claiming the status quo would be better
Sightline’s Margaret Morales published a great piece yesterday using housing data to show that multi-family housing helps make Seattle neighborhoods more affordable. Detached single-family zoning, on the other hand, leads to a more expensive housing getting built or remodeled. Proponents of detached single-family zoning sometimes point to anecdotal data
In the midst of election season it’s hard to keep up with the volume of candidate questionnaires and the information they offer. One questionnaire might be interesting for readers of this website. Seattle Fair Growth, took the time to craft questions focused on land-use, housing, and zoning. These questions
If you take the Route 44 bus all the way to the end of the line in Ballard, you’ll find yourself at the intersection of NW Market Street and 32nd Ave NW. Apartments buildings surround the intersection, but if you walk 150 feet west on Market Street, away from
Once in awhile an idea so dumb comes along it’s like a supernova. You need to look away lest you blind yourself and zap every last brain cell with it’s mind-numbing power. Normally a supernova is a rare event, but I feel that way just about every time
There wasn’t much that The Seattle Times got right in its editorial yesterday gloating over and hailing Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner’s ruling against Councilmember Mike O’Brien’s Backyard Cottage Law, apparently preserving for a little while the sanctity of single-family residential zones. Now editorials are not primary
In his Sunday Seattle Times column, Brier Dudley argued detached single family homes were the key to solving Seattle’s housing affordability crisis. His solution is detached from reality. First of all, Seattle simply lacks the space to add new single-family homes in sufficient numbers to meet demand. Secondly, the
A few weeks ago, former Seattle Councilmember Tom Rasmussen wrote an opinion piece for The Seattle Times, which theorized that loosening Seattle’s backyard cottage rules might allow developers to exploit loopholes to build multi-family housing in areas zoned for single-family homes. Instead of focusing on what developers might do,
Editor’s Note: This is part 1 of a series on Baugruppen, private owners collaboratively building affordable multifamily projects. You can see part 2 here. Pictured about is Vauban, Freiburg, a district of baugruppen; photo courtesy of Payton Chung. ‘Where no satisfactory, affordable property is available, independent citizens are taking
On the April 18th, there will be a final public hearing regarding small lot legislation, which is targeted for passage in early May. Although almost unnoticed by the media, and not acknowledged in presentation materials, “interim” legislation has already been passed that may have been the largest down-zone in Seattle’
Seattle Bubble reports a dip in the price of some single-family homes during October in King County. The main points: