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Housing

A view of the eastern half of South Lake Union with Capitol Hill and First Hill apartment towers in the background.

Homebuilders Warn Seattle’s Planned MFTE Changes Threaten to Kill Affordability Program

The Harrell Administration has proposed changes to the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) that housing advocates warn could cause the affordable housing program to “collapse entirely.”

Sara Nelson Restarts the Debate About Allowing More Housing in SoDo

The idea of encouraging more residential development around Seattle's stadiums had been put on ice in 2023 with the adoption of a citywide maritime and industrial strategy. Nelson's bill reignites that debate just as the council starts to consider the Comprehensive Plan.
A sign in front of an apartment building advertising "Affordable Micro Studios" with utilities and wifi included

Rent Stabilization Tops Washington Democrats’ Housing Agenda for 2025 Session

Democratic leaders are saying this is the year that the Washington State Legislature will finally pass rent stabilization, with momentum building behind Rep. Emily Alvarado's bill.
A sign on an apartment building indicating the parking entrance

Bateman Takes Aim at Washington’s Parking Mandates

A new bill introduced at the state legislature by longtime housing advocate Jessica Bateman would represent a sea change, limiting the ability of cities and counties to mandate high amounts of parking.
In the foreground are OPCD planners and in the background are city councilmembers at the dais.

Moore Leads Housing Backlash in Seattle Council’s First Comprehensive Plan Meeting

As the Seattle City Council took its first look at Mayor Bruce Harrell's One Seattle Comprehensive Plan on Monday, Cathy Moore delivered a slow-growth manifesto, tinged with derision for renters, who she portrayed an unengaged and a detriment to neighborhoods.

Seattle CID Development Authority Expands into Beacon Hill, Fighting Displacement

Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) is seeking to anchor communities of color in place in and around the CID, with Beacon Pacific Village its latest housing project.
An aerial photo of Downtown Bellevue in 2023 on a sunny day, with blue Lake Washington in the foreground

2025 Is Poised To Be the Year of the Eastside

East Link light rail expansions set the stage for boosting housing and transforming streets to overcome car dependence. The next year will be a pivotal, signaling whether Eastside cities are executing an urban transformation or falling back into old exclusionary patterns, ceding regional leadership back to the other side of the lake.

Local Groups Push to Block Housing in Seattle’s Proposed Neighborhood Centers

By the time the Seattle City Council convenes for the first meeting of the Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan on January 6, a group of residents from every single council district will have been pushing to scale back proposed zoning changes in their midst, all using similar arguments around lack of infrastructure and loss of neighborhood character.