On Tuesday the Seattle City Council will consider its options on Initiative 135, which would create a new “social housing” public development authority. On Monday, the Council will hear a presentation on the initiative and review its three options: vote I-135 into law, removing the need for a special election; …
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Seattle Comprehensive Plan docketing memo
In between major updates to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, the city is allowed to make minor updates once a year. The city’s normal process is to gather proposed updates the summer before from members of the public and from government agencies and departments, and then the City Council reviews and …
Continue readingBosa development agreement for Civic Square
With the news from developer Bosa this morning that it is delaying construction on its construction project in the apparently cursed “pit from hell” lot across the street from City Hall, here is the purchase and development agreement that Bosa signed with the City of Seattle in 2017 to buy …
Continue readingCity of Seattle Comprehensive Plan EIS planning
The City of Seattle is beginning to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for changes it might propose to the city’s Comprehensive Plan in 2024. It has published an EIS Scoping Fact Sheet to explain the options it will be considering. The fact sheet lays out five alternatives: “No Action”: …
Continue readingState appeals court whittles down COVID-era eviction bans
This morning a state Court of Appeals panel updated an earlier ruling; it largely affirmed a lower court ruling that upheld the City of Seattle’s eviction moratorium and required payment plans but found that the city’s ban on landlords collecting interest on unpaid rent was pre-empted by state law. The …
Continue readingMayor Harrell’s first veto
This afternoon, Mayor Harrell delivered his first veto of a City Council bill, Council Bill 120325, which would require all Seattle landlords to provide information on their rentals to a research university on a recurring basis. The “research university” would almost certainly be UW, which already houses the state-funded Washington …
Continue readingLow Income Housing Institute report to City Council
This week the Low Income Housing Institute, which operates nearly all of the city’s “Tiny House” villages along with other permanent supportive housing and affordable housing projects, is presenting a status report to the Seattle City Council. Here are the slides they submitted in advance. The slides provide status updates …
Continue readingSeattle Office of Housing 2021 Investments Report
Earlier this month the City of Seattle Office of Housing released its annual report on the funding investments it made in 2021. The report details $153 million in investments in rental housing, $5.78 million for homeownership development, $830,000 for home repairs, and $4.09 million for its low-income weatherization program. The …
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