Housing

Nearly $200,000 in outside spending from a political action committee started by one Woodinville tech worker has upended local politics in the quiet suburb. The goal? Taking down a pro-growth council majority.

While Tacoma saw a small uptick in housing starts in the first months of Home in Tacoma upzones, the City’s goal to add 59,000 homes by 2050 may take additional action by the City, given current trendlines.

A 5-2 vote at the council puts a zoning rollback in Three Tree Point, Lake Burien, and Seahurst on the table for 2026, following months of advocacy by residents. This November's election will likely play a big role in the final policy outcome.

The sixth YIMBYtown conference, held earlier this month in Connecticut, represented a major change from its first iteration in 2016. The factors that have led to YIMBYtown going mainstream are leading to housing reforms across the country.

Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck's newly passed "Roots to Roofs" program is a 35-project pilot that lets nonprofit organizations and the Seattle Social Housing Developer tap into additional development capacity, particularly in areas with a history of past racial covenants.

A majority of the Seattle School Board joined the push for additional neighborhood growth centers last week, pointing to a link between additional housing density and stable student enrollment.

Reductions in the size of proposed growth centers and new tree retention rules that could stifle homebuilding were among the dozens of Seattle growth plan amendments approved this week. Council rejected moves to make the plan bolder in a number of areas, fretting over the risk of legal appeals.

More than 200 testifiers weighed in on the Comprehensive Plan and dozens of proposed amendments ahead of planned votes this week. The topics of neighborhood centers, tree retention, and social housing dominated the hourslong hearing.