Housing

King County is capping school impact fees on multifamily projects, hoping to lessen the burden on homebuilders. The move sparked a debate on how to help overcapacity school districts while avoid undue burdens on builders.

Cities around the region are starting to grapple with greater accountability for creating more affordable housing, in the wake of a far-reaching decision impacting Mercer Island. Bainbridge Island and Clyde Hill provide an early look at those conversations.

With a mandate to design its buildings for an ambitious green housing standard called “Passive House” while maintaining affordability, Seattle's newly funded social housing authority has an important point to prove.

Parking reform has become a national movement, aimed at reducing housing costs. With a nudge from state law, Shoreline joins the trend to support urban development and a shift toward greener transportation options.

Bellingham is ranked the fourth most unaffordable housing market in the nation, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The city must embrace pro-housing policies: easing zoning restrictions, cutting red tape, and investing in mixed-income development, writes Bellingham City Council candidate Andrew Reding. 

All but one councilmember asked the Low Income Housing Institute to come back with a design that eliminates around a quarter of the planned affordable homes, after intense criticism of the height and parking ratio of a 92-unit proposal.

Despite the fact that LIHI's proposed affordable housing project has been advancing for nearly three years, public opposition has kicked up in recent weeks. The new campaign contends that such a prime Bainbridge Island site isn't appropriate for affordable housing.

Shoreline becomes the largest city in King County to let builders decide how much parking makes sense within the specifics of a site, rather than requiring an arbitrary number. The 6-0 city council vote follows a watershed state bill tackling parking earlier this year.