housing

housing-human-right

Is Housing a Human Right?

The U.S. Constitution establishes life, liberty and property as unalienable rights but makes no room for a human right to the provision of housing. Read More ›
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Seattle Urban Sprawl with colorful trees in autumn - aerial
Image Credit: Dene' Miles - Adobe Stock

Sensible WA Tenancy Laws Will Help Housing Stability

The common reality shared by housing providers across the Greater Seattle region is that housing instability has been furthered by policies that restrict providers' ability to speedily evict tenants who threaten the peace and safety of their neighbors. Read More ›
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The YIMBY Movement Faces Challenges on Both Sides of the Aisle

“Yes In My Backyard” — if the phrase has yet to enter your lexicon, the YIMBY movement is a growing cultural and political response to its predecessor, NIMBY (“Not In My Backyard”). As the nation faces a shortage of nearly 4 million homes, a pro-housing response is understandably on the rise. And while the YIMBY movement has garnered impressive traction on both sides of the political aisle — Harris and Trump have both vocalized pro-housing development sentiment — it is also not immune to criticism from both sides. Read More ›
Housing Featured Images

As Region Faces Shortage, Seattle Needs to Preserve its Existing Housing 

According to a 2024 report on housing production from Up For Growth, the metro area encompassing Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue is facing a shortage of 71,060 homes. That amounts to 4.2% of the region’s total housing stock. While the production of new homes is vital to closing the gap between supply and demand, so is the preservation of existing housing, especially affordable housing. Read More ›
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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 ›
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Washington Law Unfairly Keeps Prior Evictions Off Tenant Screenings

When it comes to tenant’s rights laws, good intentions don’t always lead to good or fair outcomes. One example is a Washington State law that allows tenants to keep their eviction from being disclosed to future housing providers. The state allows an order of limited dissemination (OLD) to be filed for eviction cases to prevent housing providers from denying tenants Read More ›