For the past six years, I’ve helped the Seattle Office of Housing fund thousands of affordable homes in my role as an Assistant City Attorney. At the same time, the need for affordable housing has only grown. Families are getting priced out of Seattle, and neighbors are getting pushed into the streets.
I’m running for City Council because it doesn’t have to be this way. We can and must build enough housing and shelter for all our neighbors, so we can all afford to live and thrive in the Emerald City.
I’m grateful to have received support from local progressive community groups and labor unions, and now I’m proud to share that I’ve received the endorsement of the Washington Working Families Party (WFP). For the past few years, WFP has been a driving force in making sure our city prioritizes working people over wealthy interests — pushing bold ideas like fully funded social housing, stronger tenant protections, and fair wages. Their values are my values, and their fight is our fight.
What excites me most about this endorsement is not just their support, but the way WFP has challenged me to grow as a candidate, to sharpen and deepen my own commitments as well as the opportunity to work together when in office.
As part of the endorsement process, members of WFP’s state committee pressed me on where I stood on social housing — specifically Initiative 1A, the fully funded version. Their organizers and members made clear that if we want to address Seattle’s housing crisis in a way that is both ambitious and just, we can’t settle for half measures. We need to invest at the scale of the problem.
They are right. Housing is the foundation for stability, dignity, and the opportunity to build generational wealth. Too many of our neighbors in District 2 and across Seattle are struggling under crushing rents or facing the threat of displacement.
Social housing offers a new path forward — a public option for housing that is permanently affordable, high-quality, and accessible to people across income levels. By adopting social housing, we can build safe and durable neighborhoods in our city. That’s why, if elected, I am committed to advancing and defending fully funded social housing as a top priority.
Endorsements should never just be a rubber stamp; they should be a partnership. That’s why I am excited to work with the WA Working Families Party through the election cycle and hopefully once I’m in office — because winning an election is only the beginning. Implementing and defending social housing and fighting for working families will require persistent organizing, smart legislative strategy, and a coalition strong enough to withstand the pressure of the large corporations and wealthy individuals who don’t want to pay their fair share in taxes and who profit off the status quo.
District 2 deserves a councilmember who doesn’t just talk about affordability but fights to make it real. With the WA Working Families Party and grassroots movements at my side, I know we can deliver the change our communities need: a Seattle where everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.
I’m honored to stand with WFP and I’m ready to get to work together.
Eddie Lin earned The Urbanist’s sole endorsement. Visit his campaign website for more.
Eddie Lin is the Urbanist-endorsed candidate for Seattle City Council in District 2, which encompasses Southeast Seattle and Chinatown-International District. As an assistant City attorney, he worked for the Seattle Office of Housing.