Housing

A small tweak to Seattle's land use code will allow a 182-unit tower to move forward in Belltown after years of appeal. Clearer direction around stacking height incentives like those in the sustainability-focused Living Building program could potentially allow more homes throughout downtown in the coming years.

Proposed Phase 2 One Seattle Comprehensive Plan changes would focus on midrise zones, in hopes of adding additional housing capacity in existing urban centers and the 30 proposed “neighborhood centers.” OPCD hopes to introduce Phase 2 legislation in May, with council passage expected around September 2025. Public comment is open until December 20.

Seattle must embrace bold zoning changes in Queen Anne and similar neighborhoods to preserve our city's promise for future generations. We need a lot more housing in all parts of Seattle. Seattle isn’t full. Queen Anne isn’t full.

The recently passed Redmond 2050 plan increases housing capacity and aims to produce nearly 30,000 new homes by 2050, mostly downtown and in Overlake Village. However, homebuilders warn that the City is adding new obstacles that could impede housing development.

Counteracting authoritarianism and building a bright and welcoming future requires an abundance agenda centering housing growth. Cities like Seattle must lead the way.

Shaun Scott, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Ryan Mello, and Jessica Bateman will bring progressive urbanist leadership to their respective offices.

Big changes are coming to the Washington State Senate in 2025, including the elevation of incoming Senator Jessica Bateman to a high profile post as head of the Housing Committee, a symbol of the continued salience of the issue.

A new study found co-living congregate housing could spur conversions of vacant offices, which are much costlier to convert to conventional housing. It could also return Seattle to its affordable single-room occupancy roots.