Image credit: Amy Sundberg / The Urbanist
Advocacy Update – December 2025
In 2025, AIA Seattle members impacted policies on housing, land use, and climate resilience through two regularly convening volunteer spaces: the Comprehensive Plan Work Group, focused on The City of Seattle, and the Housing Advocacy Committee. AIA Seattle advocacy amplifies our mission, vision, values, and imperatives.
Members participated in the Comp Plan Work Group
Bringing architect perspectives forward with elected officials and municipal staff through formal letters, personal testimony, and in-person and virtual conversations. AIA Seattle member voices helped secure pro-housing wins aligned with our Housing Policy Statement, which is focused on increasing housing density everywhere, keeping equitable solutions at the forefront, and developing livable communities.
Today at 1pm, AIA Seattle members will attend the Seattle City Council meeting to advocate for equitable, resilient, thriving communities as Council votes on the One Seattle Plan and Phase 1 legislation.
The Housing Advocacy Committee tackled housing delivery challenges
Engaging with municipal staff of our region to support development of pro-housing policies on topics such as ADUs, stacked flats, and design review. These efforts built trust with elected officials and their staff, advancing equitable, thriving communities.
Want to amplify the voice of architects and keep the momentum going in 2026?
- Join the Comp Plan Work Group: monthly meetings (3rd Wednesday, 12-1pm). Email us for the invite.
- Join the Housing Advocacy Committee: monthly meetings (2nd Thursday, 12-1pm). Sign up here — open to all members!
In 2026, AIA Seattle will be updating our Climate Policy Statement
To provide a powerful advocacy tool to continue our work to bolster positive climate action and accelerate work towards a decarbonized, equitable and resilient built environment that allows future generations and ecosystems to thrive.
AIA National is taking action against federal policy failing to recognize architects as professionals.
In DOE’s current draft framework, M.Arch. and D.Arch. are classified as graduate, not professional degrees, placing students in graduate programs under the lower lifetime borrowing caps of $100k vs $200k, affecting ~40% of students (NCARB).
The rule is not finalized until at least July 2026, and we will provide updates and opportunities for public comment as they emerge. AIA Seattle has shared to AIA National our member concerns about the outsized burden of student loans, and in line with our JE:DI Imperative supports solutions for cost accessible pathways into the profession.
AIA National is addressing the two core issues of borrowing caps and degree classification by way of:
- Preparing detailed regulatory comments urging DOE to recognize accredited architecture degrees as professional programs
- Coordinating with AIAS to submit student-focused comments
- Pursuing a congressional strategy to address the statutory borrowing caps themselves, which do not reflect the cost of professional education and disproportionately impact low and middle-income students.
- Joining the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensure in response to many states facing deregulation bills and threats to licensure boards.
Take action! Write your member of Congress urging them to classify architecture as a professional degree for federal aid purposes and prepare for the Department of Education public comment period in early 2026.
