The Emerald City's affordable housing difficulties mirror those of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and others: too much demand and too few resources.
David Kroman weighs in on why affordable housing is difficult to come by in Seattle, where rents have risen out of range for lower earners. While steps have been taken to address the shortage, steadily rising prices and bureaucratic snags have exacerbated the problem.
Recently, "Mayor Ed Murray's Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) taskforce has set out to add 20,000 affordable units over the next ten years, a two-thirds increase from Seattle's current stock." This goal is an admitted "stretch," even though it probably falls short of the city's need.
Kroman describes how affordable development plans in Seattle face opposition from NIMBYs, difficult approval processes, and a general lack of enthusiasm from profit-minded developers. Seattle's situation—vast need and limited resources—mirrors the situation of high-rent cities across the nation.
Read the full story: Why it’s so hard to build truly affordable housing in Seattle
Survey: Seattle-Area Residents Support Upzoning
To fight the growing housing crisis, most King County residents support an end to single-family zoning and accelerated housing development, according to a new poll.
Tax on High Earners Proposed to Fund Homeless Services in Seattle's King County
The Washington State Legislature is proposing a type of tax that the city of Seattle tried, and failed, to implement a few years go.
Seattle to Use Surplus Public Land for Affordable Housing
New municipal and state laws have made it possible for Seattle to sell excess land to affordable housing developers at below-market rates, or even to give it away.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority