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What are Seattle’s Housing Solutions?

Much light had been made in recent weeks with the release of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s Housing and Affordable Living Agenda (HALA).  Most contentious is up-zoning single family neighborhoods to accommodate mother-in-law, backyard cottages, and others to be built on existing land. Soon after, Mayor Murray retracted his statement.  A host of current city council candidates have promised changes to housing within their first year of office.

This leaves conflicting questions about affordable housing’s future for Seattle.  Other solutions proposed have included mandatory inclusionary zoning, increased Housing Levy, and rent control.  The topic of rent control reached fever pitch at a Seattle Town Hall debate on July 20th.  However, these are steps forward in a potentially ever changing quagmire for the Northwest.

Here are three local articles as food for thought on the housing crisis/debate:

Geov Parrish – “Seattleland!” (geov.org)

Goldy – “Seattle Has Three Affordable Housing Crises and They All Require Different Solutions” (horsesass.org)

Goldy – “How Seattle Can Build Thousands of Affordable Rent Stabilized Housing Units At No Cost To Taxpayers” (horsesass.org)