Housing Developments: Making Affordability Mandatory

February 14, 2018 in Housing Developments, Policy & Advocacy

Join us tonight for the First Public Hearing on Citywide Mandatory Housing Affordability  

Wallingford, Ravenna, Roosevelt, U-District, and Sand Point residents: now is your time to shine! The public hearing process for citywide Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) kicks off in District 4 tonight:

Nathan Eckstein Middle School
3003 NE 75th Street
Seattle, WA 98115
5:00 pm

Can you join us in support? You can sign up to give testimony by yourself or as part of a team of four, or show up and wave a sign in solidarity.  Seattle for Everyone will be there at 4:30 with stickers, snacks, and last minute talking points.   

Other Developments…

  • Friday was a good news day for Washington housing advocates! All these great bills passed their chamber and move on to the next round:

    • HB 2382 concerning prioritizing surplus public land for affordable housing

    • HB 2578 prohibiting source of income discrimination

    • SB 5407 prohibiting source of income discrimination

    • HB 1570 concerning funding for homelessness programs (actually passed Thursday, but we’re still excited!)

  • Other bills need your support to live past Wednesday… which is the next cut-off day. Help them out by emailing your reps right now:

  • HDC is turning 30 this year! Join us March 6th for our big 3-0.   

  • RFP for emergency Shelter & Services outside of Seattle has a new, extended deadline: King County is making $1 million available over three years for new or expanded emergency shelter services outside of Seattle. Apply by tomorrow 2/13. Details here under RFP# 1012-18-VLN.

  • A tale of two mobile home parks in two different corners of the county, with potentially different outcomes. Residents of The Firs in SeaTac fight for the security that residents of Friendly Village in Redmond recently received.

  • It’s reasonable policy or a nuclear bomb, depending on who you ask. What is it? HB 2583; the bill to repeal Washington State’s prohibition on rent control. Real Change looks at a handful of perspectives here. 

  • “I used to think I was gonna die at the park like my elders.” First Nations people in Seattle and King County are disproportionately likely to be experience homelessness, and community leaders are getting creative to meet the need.

  • A campaign to tax large Seattle businesses to support affordable housing has launched. The Housing For All Campaign seeks to revisit the employee-hours tax that city councilmembers voted down in November.

  • Older adults of the Seattle LGBTQ community: participate in this survey from the Office of Housing and you might win a $200 QFC or Fred Meyer gift card. 

  • Bellevue is for lovers of TOD: The city is hosting an open house on the East Main transit-oriented development area on Valentine’s Day, which is this Wednesday, FYI.