Last July we started a citywide conversation about housing affordability and livability in our city. There has already been much progress to advance the Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). We’ve turned surplus property into more affordable housing, renewed and expanded the multifamily property tax exemption for affordable housing, and strengthened tenant relocation assistance. Seattle’s City Council is currently considering legislation on several important policies to expand tenant protections and require that new commercial and multifamily development contribute to affordable housing through a mandatory housing affordability program (MHA).
We need to hear from you! On Tuesday June 21 City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee (9:30 am) will hold a public hearing on the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) proposal—one of the newest ideas to come out of HALA. For the first time, MHA would require new affordable units with development and enable our community to harness growth to produce more affordable housing.
For HALA updates, visit http://www.seattle.gov/hala.
Be sure to check out HALA Consider It, where you can share thoughts on key HALA policies.