A local writer evaluates the results of a 2014 ordinance that updated regulations regarding the development of microhousing. The Seattle City Council could once again revisit the regulations as part of the city's HALA process.
Ethan Phelps-Goodman reviews the outcomes of updated regulations for the development of microhousing in Seattle in 2014 now that some time has passed. According to Phelps-Goodman, neither affordable housing advocates nor opponents of microhousing should be happy with the results.
For opponents of microhousing, the rules failed to reign in development: about the same number of projects entered the pipeline in 2015 as the year before the rule change. But just as affordability advocates warned, the new projects no longer include the lowest priced units.
The article digs into the specific regulatory changes enacted by the 2014 ordinance, comparing permit data for the years before and after 2015. The questions is especially relevant in 2016, according to Phelps-Goodman, because the "Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda currently before City Council includes a recommendation to re-visit the new microhousing rules."
FULL STORY: A YEAR AFTER NEW MICROHOUSING RULES WENT INTO EFFECT, NEITHER SIDE SHOULD BE HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME
To Clear Obstacles to Housing Affordability, Environmental Law Reformed in Washington
State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.
Seattle Could Upzone its Way to Affordability
Seattle is considering a proposal to upzone some of the densest parts of the city as part of its Mandatory Housing Affordability program.
Seattle Could End Restrictions on Co-Living
Current regulations prohibit ‘congregate housing’ in many parts of the city.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.
Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.
Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service