affordable housing

Seattle overregulation-8

Affordable Housing Owner Sues City of Seattle: Unpacking the Lawsuit

To understand why a privately-owned housing building is in default, facing over $40 million in liabilities, and “hemorrhaging money,” in an affluent west-coast city, we must look at a series of Seattle ordinances that, while well-intended, have heaped negative consequences on housing providers with compounding effects. Read More ›
Seattle overregulation (1)

Seattle Housing Providers Face Millions in Unpaid Rent

Affordable, subsidized housing in Seattle is in crisis. Several months ago, the City of Seattle announced $14 million in one-time funding intended to stabilize affordable housing providers. The Office of Housing received 24 applications requesting roughly $22 million. These 24 housing providers own and manage 10,200 affordable housing units across the city, and a public records request for their applications reveals just how dire the future of affordable housing in Seattle is. Read More ›
Seattle school year ban

As Affordable Housing Crumbles, Reconsider School Year Eviction Bans

In 2021, the City of Seattle instituted a school year eviction moratorium. Households with a child under age 18 on the lease cannot be evicted for nonpayment of rent from the start of the school year in September through the end in June. The legislation may have been crafted in goodwill — to keep children housed and their lives stable — but the outcomes have been disastrous. Read More ›
Seattle Skyline

Go Grow Somewhere Else

Microsoft recently announced an unprecedented three-year, $500 million investment to spur housing development across the Puget Sound region. Since 2011, strong economic growth in the Seattle metro area has boosted overall jobs by 21 percent, but the housing stock has expanded only 13 percent, leading to a massive increase in rental and home prices. It’s a problem reaching crisis levels in all West Coast tech cities. Read More ›