Op-Ed: Seattle Water-Main Cost-Sharing Proposal Does Not Go Far Enough
Civil engineer Donna Breske argued Seattle Public Utilities misguided water hookup policies lead to unequal outcomes, effectively downzoning much of the city where fees are too high to make projects feasible.
Harrell Chops Off Dozens of City Blocks from Planned Growth Centers
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has shrunk the dimensions of eight neighborhood centers and six urban center expansions he proposed last year. The move chops dozens of blocks off the growth centers, limiting opportunities for apartments and affordable homebuilding and drawing criticism from housing advocates.
Bellevue Councilmembers Twist Themselves in Knots Over Middle Housing Changes
Presented with a recommendation to allow additional density beyond a state mandate, a bloc of Bellevue's council pushed for more process and study. This November's election, when five of seven councilmembers must defend their seats, looms large in the background.
After ‘Year of Housing 2.0’, Policymakers Eye Next Big Housing Moves
Following a productive legislative session on the issue of housing, with around a dozen bills signed into law, Washington state lawmakers are already looking ahead to the next set of challenges to tackle.
In Eastside Affordable Housing Efforts, ARCH Provides Both Help and Hurdles
Inside the complicated calculations that determine if affordable housing gets built on King County’s Eastside and how A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) finds itself in the middle of it all.
Sunday Video: The Housing Tax Crisis
Uytae Lee of About Here dives into development fees and taxes, which contribute to a significant proportion of new housing costs. In many North American cities, housing taxes have been increasing much faster than inflation. But why are they increasing so much, what are they used for, and how does this affect homebuilding?
Turn Out for Housing at Seattle Hearings This Week
There are two important housing fights coming up next week. Public hearings are scheduled on Monday and Wednesday, and advocates need to ensure Seattle's plan for middle housing keeps advancing and long-promised affordable housing gets built at Fort Lawton, despite pushback.
Op-Ed: Seattle Should Ban Employers from Discriminating Against Unhoused Job Applicants
In the middle of a homelessness crisis, Seattle is still allowing employers to reject qualified job applicants simply because they don’t have a permanent address. That’s discrimination, and the Seattle City Attorney should lead the way in banning the practice.