Rent prices in Seattle are increasingly out of reach for many people.
As Seattle grows, the city council and the mayor want to require funding for affordable housing units with all new developments.
“I provide care for Seattle patients, but I can’t afford to live in the place where I work,” said Michael Scott, a caregiver at Swedish Medical Center. He says average rent in Seattle – $1700 for a one bedroom apartment – would take half his monthly income.
“Instead I have to be on the road for hours, just to get to the hospital.”
Scott told his story in support of new legislation introduced by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray andCouncilmemberMike O’Brien. They’re calling it a “grand bargain” with developers.
The proposal comes from the city's 28-member Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda advisory committee. It would allow bigger or taller buildings in some parts of Seattle, in exchange for the mandatory inclusion of affordable units in all new construction - or fees to help fund them. The committee estimates it will create 6,000 units of affordable housing over the next ten years.
“And for the first time ever, as people build and develop in Seattle, they’ll be required to build and develop affordable housing,” Mayor Murray said at the unveiling. “This is the first time that the private sector will actually build the affordable housing – not just non-profit organizations.”
People making up to about $38,000 per year could qualify for the affordable units, which would rent out for an average of about $1,000 per month for a one-bedroom.
In exchange, Seattle will look for new ways to allow more capacity for builders, for example, granting permits for an extra 1,000 square feet per floor downtown or in South Lake Union.
Outside the downtown core, new buildings would be allowed approximately one additional story in height.
Developer A-P Hurd with Touchstone said the fee structure is more predictable. And the new capacity is crucial in helping new projects pencil out.
“And with 20,000 people moving here last year, we’re the fastest-growing city in the nation. We need to create units so that all the people who move here do get a place to live,” Hurd said.
She added that it’s part of a much larger strategy to address housing affordabilityfor all kinds of people in Seattle.
“Some people will get a subsidized unit. But lots of people who move here will also be able to get a market rate unit,” she said.
Without new capacity through zoning changes, she says many of those people would have a hard time finding a place to live.
Two public hearings on the proposalswill take place later this month.
