Comments

1
Let's work together to think of our city has a whole community. Let's expand the idea of neighbors to include folks that live in all different kinds of housing, not just in the streets directly near where we live... and let's move forward with swift, bold action to address our housing and climate crises.
2
Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete ban of [NEW HOUSING POLICIES] in [SEATTLE] until our government can figure out what the hell is going on there
3
I'll never understand the "...or to pay toward a fund for building affordable housing" part of the plan.

The fees are just a developer/lobbyist-backed scheme to buy their way out of providing affordable housing - and on the cheep. Why else would virtually every developer go for the opt-out?

By the time the city gets the money from the developers, it can't build any affordable housing in that area. Development will have driven up the costs to acquire any lots that might happen to remain available, so the city ends up having to build somewhere else. Locals end up displaced, we fail to ensure any economic diversity, and end up segregating our communities along economic lines. The working poor end up suffering with a less-than-adequate transit system or adding single-driver gridlock in their cars. Rinse and repeat.

4
Let's not let a few bad apples taint our view of affordable housing beneficiaries

Like my neighbor in assisted housing, who invited a hooker over, in plain view of my young daughter. How do you explain "pimp" to a 6 year old?

5
@4: that's his girlfriend. she's a girl and she's his friend. why do you even have to explain what a pimp is?
7
@4, "assisted housing" is for people who need medical/chore help. It has nothing whatsoever to do with affordable housing. Choose another example for your snarky passive-aggressive claim.
8
I've never understood the provide affordable housing or pay towards affordable housing thing. Why is it developer's job to provide affordable housing? All that does is prevent new developments which would take the pressure off the market and raise the cost of housing. Let's make it easier for Developers to build condos so people can actually own their home the stabilizing their rent. And if you're so concerned about low income people put your money where your mouth is and do a large Levy to provide affordable housing so poor people can live in neighborhoods where you can't afford to. If anything we should take that money from Developers and build a large complex in places like Othello along the light rail route. This would provide more light rail Riders. Affordable housing with access 2 mass transit and get way more bang for your buck than trying to subsidize people in the most expensive neighborhood in town. I'll bet you can get 3 people into that affordable housing instead of one person into Belltown. What's with this idea that we somehow need poor people in Belltown? What are the benefits? Is the culture of Belltown going to thrive because some poor people live in subsidized housing? Downtown in Belltown are still plenty sketchy as a result of poor people hanging around. You might not like that but it certainly isn't the rich people that make it sketchy. Poor people live differently than rich people. It isn't like Belltown has been a neighborhood where seniors have lived all their lives and are now being displaced. Granted there are a few subsidized places already. That's fine. But we need large-scale public housing not trying to keep a few poor people in Belltown. Oh I'm sorry, would that ghettoize poor people and create a rundown ghetto of a neighborhood out on the out on the outskirts of town? Actually it would although I wish that was not the case. Look to France for what that looks like. So poor people are a negative impact on a neighborhood? But how dare people not want them living in their building. When have wealthy people ever been expected to want to live amongst the poor. It's a ridiculous concept. And I don't think it's appropriate policy to try to force them to
9
@8....so you have nothing constructive to add, here...merely that poor people should be marginalized to ghettos bevause they "live differently" than rich people do and those long suffering rich people shouldn't have to be exposed to thay sketchiness...

You're either exceptionally and hilariously sarcastically funny or from the Bay area.

Touch call.
10
@9
Actually I thought @8 had some interesting remarks and I even agree with some. It's good to hear different perspectives instead of same old BS.
So what did you find so upsetting?
11
Re: 8—Wait, Othello's on a light rail line?!
12
Perhaps my comment was a bit negative and snarky, but I think that as long as we continue to maintain the illusion that all poor people are all just like everyone else and they have some need to live downtown at the public expense, we will not move forward and create real solutions. I actually believe a good solution is to create more housing, without demonizing or getting in the way of developers too much. I also think that creating affordable housing in the suburbs along light rail lines is a viable solution to increased density, creating more mass transit and walkability and bikeability, reducing sprawl and high costs of housing. But my on concern is to ghettoize them like has happened in France or large scale projects such as in Chicago. I don't know how we can solve that concern. Although I think that our two projects in Columbiaa City and West Seattle are great examples of good development, although I would like to see denser more modern design.
13
There is no need for a "Grand Bargain" with developers. They want to build here and are making money on everything they build. The city should just make them set aside 10-20% of their units as affordable housing - no bargain required. Affordable units still make money and they will always be full and have a waiting list. It's a win-win.

The idea to allow builders to pay a fee in lieu is a HALA giveaway to developers. It is one of many HALA giveaways that only increase developer profits while chipping away at the livability of Seattle. The developers wrote the HALA document and they even hoodwinked the Affordable Housing advocates on the committee. The support for HALA by our Mayor is very misguided. This document and the zoning changes in the 2035 plan cede all control of how our city develops to DEVELOPERS. Stand Up City Council. Represent our Citizens and put back the provisions that have been removed from our zoning laws in the proposed 2035 plan. Reject the developer giveaways in HALA. Our City needs Urban Planners to make the development rules and Developers should follow the rules. Developers should not be allowed to create their own rules as they have done with HALA.

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