Tag Archives: affordability

Council committee to decide on Connected Communities pilot program and 35 ‘community-led’ affordable housing developments

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The Seattle City Council’s land use committee is expected to make a decision Wednesday afternoon whether the city should launch a new pilot program linking community organizations with developers to create affordable ā€œequitable developmentā€ in neighborhoods across the city. The program could help organizations like Habitat for Humanity or El Centro de la Raza more easily develop affordable housing projects on their Seattle properties.

Committee chair and legislation sponsor Tammy Morales calls the proposed Connected Communities pilot a “win-win” and highlighted the bill’s potential for streamlining a cumbersome process for community groups.

“The fact is many community-based organizations are seeking opportunities to help build affordable housing and develop vital commercial spaces and third places,” Morales said in an announcement of the planned Wednesday vote. “We just need to get out of their way. This legislation does that by cutting red tape and onerous regulations,ā€ Continue reading →

St. Mark’s affordable housing and adaptive reuse development on agenda at Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board

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A rendering showing the planned massing of the new structure (Image: Atelierjones)

The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board will be briefed this week on the planned redevelopment and adaptive reuse project envisioned to create more than 100 affordable homes on the St. Mark’s Cathedral campus on northern Capitol Hill.

The project would transform the landmarks-protected St. Nicholas building that has stood on the property for 98 years. CHS reported here on the project taking shape with designs calling for 109 affordable apartment units in a development that would create a new twin to the historic building.

Designated as a protected landmark in 1982, the St. Nicholas structure’s protections include the “entire exterior of the 1926 building” and “the entire site” but the restrictions do not extend to the structure’s interior. Continue reading →

St. Mark’s northern Capitol Hill affordable housing plan would create new four-story twin to adaptive reuse of old St. Nicholas building

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A four-story addition would rise behind the old St. Nicholas building under the plan

(Image: City permit filings)

Capitol Hill’s next major affordable housing development may come on the holy ground of North Capitol Hill.

Early permit filings show a plan for a four-story adaptive reuse project with around 109 affordable apartment units in a development that would create a new twin to the landmarks-protected St. Nicholas building on the grounds of the St. Mark’s Cathedral along 10th Ave E.

CHS reported here in November on renewed efforts around the long-planned development effort as Saint Markā€™s Episcopal Cathedral announced it received a $100,000 grant from Trinity Church Wall Street, an organization that helps churches and faith organizations fund feasibility and predevelopment costs.

For St. Mark’s, proceeds from the development would provide crucial funding while also furthering its social mission by providing much needed new affordable housing in the city. Continue reading →

Social housing: Backers aim for Seattle vote on $53M business payroll tax to fund publicly owned affordable apartments and homes

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A view from a unit in Broadway’s affordable senior community Pride Place

Seattle is building aĀ Social Housing Public Development Authority to create affordable, publicly owned housing across the city.

Now, a proposal is being lined up for the fall ballot to pay for it by adding a new tax on the companies creating the city’s millionaires. There is political urgency with strong turnout expected for the 2024 presidential election. The city also has a housing crisis to solve.

The Letā€™s Build Social Housing ballot initiative unveiled this week would add a 5% tax on companies for every dollar over a million paid to a Seattle employee in annual compensation including salary, stock, and bonuses.

The House our Neighbors group behind the proposal says the tax would add up to around $50 million a year to fund the development authority and power its ability to borrow to build or acquire 2,000 units of housing over 10 years.

It could be a relatively small price to pay for a city stuck in an affordability crisis that is only getting worse.

ā€œIf we were honest with ourselves and the public, we do not have a plan to address our affordable housing needs at scale,ā€ Tiffani McCoy, House Our Neighbors Policy and Advocacy Director said in a statement to media. ā€œNo level of government has a plan and the private sector cannot fill this need. This is where social housing comes in.ā€

The new tax could be seen as an extension of the JumpStart program created during the pandemic to fund social services and affordable housing. Continue reading →

Seattle City Council looks at Connected Communities pilot to ease affordable housing development by ‘community-based organizations’

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The Seattle City Council’s land use committee will discuss a proposal Wednesday afternoon that would create a new pilot program linking community organizations with developers to create affordable “equitable development” in neighborhoods across the city.

The “Connected Communities” proposal from land use chair Tammy Morales would create a pilot program that would run through 2029 or create 35 housing developments — whichever comes first — by pairing “community-based organizations with limited development experience” with nonprofit and for-profit developers “for development of low- and moderate-income housing with neighborhood serving equitable development uses,” according to a council memo (PDF) on the plan.

The program would ease the path for the projects by providing density bonuses “and other regulatory incentives.”

The pilot would “encourage equitable development, creating low-to-moderate-income housing ,social housing, and undo some of the damage created by historical redlining,” a briefing on the proposal reads.

Morales’s office says the program would also help solve some of the issues of funded equitable and affordable development getting bogged down by a regulatory environment “that can hinder, delay, complicate, and add cost to these projects.” Continue reading →

With demolition plan for 120-year-old Wilshire Building, seven-story affordable housing project’s ‘fast track’ finally ready to play out on Broadway

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(Image: Knit Studios)

The Bait Shop block isn’t the only stretch of Broadway being readied for redevelopment to add new housing to the core of Capitol Hill. Demolition permit filings this month show the project to create a new seven-story affordable apartment building in the 200 block of Broadway E is rounding into shape after years of planning.

CHS reported here in November 2022 on the Seattle Landmarks Board rejection of Broadwayā€™s Wilshire Building for historical protections, clearing the way for the now more than 120-year-old structure to be demolished to make way for a new seven-story, mixed-use building with 95 apartments, five ground floor live/work units, and new street-level retail space.

The project has been developed by Cannon Commercial, TAP Collaborative, and $3 million in affordable housing funding from the 2021 round of Office of Housing grants. A company registered to Joe Cannon and TAPā€™s Rebecca Ralston purchased the property for $6.25 million in 2018, according to King County records. Continue reading →

‘Largest-ever investment into affordable housing’ — Seattle City Council finalizes 2024 budget but faces big gap in 2025

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The view from Capitol Hill’s Pride Place. Affordable housing spending will reach an all-time high in the city in 2024.

Teresa Mosqueda will step up to represent Seattle constituents the King County Council.

Kshama Sawant is off to start a new national party.

The two veteran Seattle City Council members marked the passage of the final city budget under their watch in familiar fashion with budget chair Mosqueda celebrating wins for human services and housing and Sawant standing alone in opposition to the final compromise package.

The final 2024 Seattle budget plan was approved 8 to 1 by the council acting as committee Monday. Tuesday will bring a final vote, a formality in the multi-month process.

ā€œThanks to affordable housing and homelessness advocates, our labor partners and human service workers, community members, and our Select Budget Committee colleagues, this budget includes the Cityā€™s largest-ever investment into affordable housingā€”yielding nearly $600 million for affordable across the biennium,ā€ Mosqueda said in a statement. Continue reading →

Another cool old Community Roots Housing apartment building hits market but affordable developer says Capitol Hill sales are not a trend

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(Image: Community Roots Housing)

Affordable housing developer Community Roots Housing has put another of its classic Capitol Hill apartment buildings on the market but the organization says not to expect a continued selloff of its smaller-scale holdings around the central city.

“We’re not in the business of selling buildings,” a representative said about the planned sale of the Park Hill building, the 1907-era, three-story masonry apartment building at 13th and Madison.

The organization announced plans to put the 30-unit building on the market last month and began the process of working with residents to find new homes. The spokesperson said people living in affordable units can be placed elsewhere int the Community Roots “portfolio” and that the developer has gone “well beyond city requirements” in assisting those in market-rate units if they choose to move out. Continue reading →

Nine questions about the future of Seattle’s parks for the District 3 candidates

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A Cal Anderson movie night from above

Development, equity, and public safety — These are major issues in the 2023 race for the District 3 seat on the Seattle City Council. Turns out, you can learn a lot about the D3 candidates by asking about something else altogether — Seattle’s parks. Thanks to the Seattle Parks Foundation, we have answers to nine questions about the city’s public greenspaces from D3 candidates Joy Hollingsworth and Alex Hudson that help illustrate each candidate’s style and stances on key questions about the city’s parks system that also shine light on how each candidate would help lead the city.

For Hollingsworth, her thoughts on Seattle parks start with growing up in the Central District and her father’s long career as a Seattle Parks employee. The candidate says the biggest issue facing the city’s parks right now is public safety while she also addresses how she believes parks fit into her primary stance on social investments — “centering essential city services and expanding root cause investments for safe and thriving communities.” Other answers highlight her commitment to increasing efforts to address climate change and grow the city’s tree canopy in underserved communities as she hopes to champion growth strategies that balance preservation of existing communities. “The gentrification of my own neighborhood and displacement of Black families is a painful lesson for the City and community leaders that thoughtful planning is critical to successful urbanism,” Hollingsworth says.

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Hudson’s parks perspectives offer a more forward-looking approach shaped by her time serving on the board of the Freeway Park Association. In her answers, Hudson places parks within her strategies for building a more dense, more affordable Seattle that also places a high value on greenspace and the tree canopy by dedicating more existing streetspace to become parks and mixing more multistory affordable housing into areas near parks. “We must reclaim more of our streetscape and return it to the people as greenspace. We must create more parks and protect the ones we have,” Hudson says. “High density development is necessary because the alternative is sprawl and further destruction of what little greenspace we currently have.”

Hudson also calls for more resources to be dedicated to activating and programming in the city’s most important existing parks including Cal Anderson. “Our parks are some of the places where our toughest social issues play out ā€“ homelessness, mental and behavioral health challenges, and by supporting programs like the Rangers, investing in REACH and other outreach workers, and supporting healthy activation we can ensure they are safe and welcoming for everyone,” Hudson says.

The full survey and D3 answers from the Seattle Parks Foundation are below.

1) What is your favorite Seattle park and why?

Hollingsworth: I grew up in the historic Central District neighborhood, where I still live today and rent the home that my grandmother purchased in the 1940ā€™s with my wife, Iesha. While the neighborhood has changed immensely over the past four decades, one thing that hasnā€™t changed is the community building and fellowship that takes place in our parks and public spaces. My favorite Seattle Park is Garfield Playfield and Community Center. I spent every summer as a child growing up in programming at Garfield. To this day, I still stay connected with Ms. Shari Watts, the former Director of Garfield Community Center. It was Garfield where I have rich memories of my childhood, where I felt at home and in community. Garfield Playfield and Community Center was also one of the Seattle Parks that my dad, who was a career-long Seattle Parks employee, fought to ensure had the same investments and resources as parks in wealthier parts of Seattle. On City Council, I want every youth to have the opportunity that I did to access programming, enjoy safe parks and public spaces, and experience community.

Hudson: Wow, Iā€™m not even sure I know how to pick! Iā€™ve served on the board of the Freeway Park Association for a decade, and I love that parkā€™s iconic architecture and innovation, especially how its lidding of a section of I-5 created this beautiful space. I helped to lead a community re-design of First Hill Park and feel an incredible appreciation for our little jewel box park that serves so many people. And I feel so lucky to live in District 3, with our abundance of Olmstead legacy park riches at Cal Anderson, Volunteer, and Interlaken parks. Continue reading →

Mayor begins 2024 Seattle budget debate with status quo proposal emphasizing affordable housing and boost for treatment and diversion

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(Image: City of Seattle)

You can track changes with the Seattle Budget Dashboard

Seattle’s efforts to shape the city’s 2024 spending plan are beginning with a proposal from Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office that he says “doubles downs” on his administration’s priorities with a more than 30% increase in planned affordable housing funding, maintaining the city’s more than $100 million in annual funding for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, and $26.5 million to boost the newly formed Community Assisted Response and Engagement departments. But the proposal’s largest components including spending for the city’s existing first responders at Seattle Police and the Seattle Fire Department would be maintained at status quo levels.

ā€œSeattle is a different city than when I took office nearly two years ago ā€“ we are continuing to see real progress, even while acknowledging the complex challenges still before us. Many of our toughest issues canā€™t be solved overnight but with a plan and solid investment strategy, we can show meaningful progress towards building the One Seattle we want to see,ā€ Harrell said in the announcement of his 2024 budget proposal. ā€œThis budget doubles down on the priorities that matter for the city, focusing on critical needs like public safety and homelessness, supporting downtown and a healthy climate, and embracing a back-to-basics philosophy needed to advance Seattleā€™s economy, quality of life, and the essential city services residents deserve.ā€

The budget planning comes in a city facing challenged revenue forecasts in coming years. A workgroup convened to brainstorm possible “alternative revenue” sources has proposed options including capital gains, vacancy, and congestion pricing taxes. For now, the city is working with what it has including its more than $200 million a year JumpStart tax on its largest employers like Amazon and Starbucks.

(Image: The Rise)

Harrell made his budget speech Tuesday from First Hill at a newly opened affordable high-rise housing development on surplus Sound TransitĀ land at Madison and Boylston, “these buildings represent the kind of outcomes weā€™re trying to achieve,” the mayor said. CHS reported here in May at the opening of the joint project from Plymouth Housing and Bellwether HousingĀ where Plymouth operates Blake House on floors two through five with a total of 112 studio apartments focused on serving seniors and veterans who have experienced chronic homelessness while Bellwether operates The Rise on Madison on floors six through 17 with ā€œ250 homes affordable to families making 60% or less of area median income.”

“These projects provide affordable housing for our neighbors and bring people who have experienced chronic homelessness indoors with the support they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives,” Harrell said.

The proposed budget now moves to the Seattle City Council for weeks of public comment, debate, additions, and subtractions.

Seattle’s operating budget reached $5.92 billion in 2023 with just over 40% of that earmarked for transportation infrastructure, utilities, and environment spending, and nearly 24% for administration at City Hall. The single biggest category beyond that base remains Public Safety at nearly 14% or $805.4 million. Its capital budget climbed to $1.51 billion in one-time spending and improvement projects.

In total, the mayor’s proposal calls for $7.386 billion in spending — down slightly from 2023’s approved $7.433 billion budget.

Continue reading →