Housing

An rooftop view of rows of midrise apartments in South Lake Union with Capitol Hill in the distance.

Policy Lab: Cracking Down on Rental “Junk Fees”

President Biden has called out junk fees, but local landlords continue to charge them. Here's what Seattle and other cities can do to address them.

St. Marks Pauses Project Adding 119 Affordable Homes on Campus

St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral officials cited multiple headwinds against development for delaying plans for housing and renovation of the historic Nicholas School on their North Capitol Hill campus.
A photo of a city skyline with cranes.

Op-Ed: Regional Workforce Housing Initiative Can Create Affordable Homes Near Jobs

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay lays out the case for his $1 billion workforce housing bond proposal, saying workers deserve affordable housing near their jobs.

Seattle’s Growth Plan Keeps Most of the City Unaffordable, County Committee Says

Seattle's 20-year growth plan doesn't do enough to ensure that lower income residents will be able to access the vast majority of the city's residential neighborhoods, according to King County's Affordable Housing Committee.

Downtown Design Review Moratorium Gets Mixed Reception from Seattle Council

New developments downtown would get an exemption from design review for three years under a proposal from Mayor Harrell. But first he must win over the Seattle City Council.

Jerusalem Demsas on How Housing Became a Crisis

The Urbanist interviewed the author of a new book called "On the Housing Crisis," which delves into exclusionary land use and the political dysfunction keeping it in place.

Lynnwood City Center’s Growth Aspirations Hinge on Two Slow-Moving Megaprojects

Builders have nearly 3,000 homes in the works near Lynnwood's freshly opened light rail station. But more than half hang on two massive projects that are in limbo.

Seattle’s Downtown Activation Plan Remains Stuck in Low Gear

A year into announcing its ambitious Downtown Activation Plan, the Harrell Administration is touting successes. But so far those are primarily spot improvements, with many big initiatives in limbo or on hold.