Background Earlier this year, in compliance with state legislation (HB 1377) passed in 2019, the Seattle City Council passed and Mayor Jenny Durkan signed legislation to allow religious institutions to access additional development capacity when they redevelop their property for long-term rent- and income-restricted affordable housing. The state law requires such projects to target households […]
Housing Advocacy: Neighborhood Residential Saturday, September 18, 2021 in Advocacy, Housing, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Housing Advocacy: Neighborhood ResidentialLegislation to rename Seattle’s single family zoning category from “Single Family” to “Neighborhood Residential” will be voted on at a Sept. 24th Land Use & Neighborhoods City Council Committee meeting. This legislation does not make actual changes to the existing zoning (any changes will be part of the Comp Plan Update), but it will set […]
Advocacy Update – August 2021 Thursday, August 19, 2021 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – August 2021LOCAL NEWS 2020 MHA Report Released Seattle’s Office of Housing released its first annual report on the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability and Incentive Zoning program, including long-anticipated data on housing projects’ use of payment versus performance under the program. While any adjustments to the MHA pricing will likely occur only as part of the city’s […]
Advocacy Update – July 2021 Thursday, July 15, 2021 in Advocacy, Housing, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – July 2021NATIONAL NEWS California Gas Ban Lawsuit Dismissed A federal court in San Francisco dismissed a preemption challenge to the ban on gas hookups in new construction in Berkeley, California. California has more than 40 cities that have implemented gas bans or other restrictions, and this outcome will inform further efforts there and in other states. […]
Advocacy Update – May 2021 Thursday, May 20, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Advocacy Update – May 2021STATE NEWS State Legislative Session Adjourns Washington’s Legislature adjourned on April 25, ending a historic, nearly all-virtual session in which Democratic leadership focused on four key areas: COVID relief, economic recovery, racial equity, and climate change. Gov. Inslee is still signing bills into law. You can read AIA Washington Council’s final legislative report here. If […]
Advocacy Update – April 2021 Thursday, April 15, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Advocacy Update – April 2021NATIONAL NEWS Housing Supply & Affordability Act In Congress, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota introduced the Housing Supply and Affordability Act to encourage cities and rural communities to lift barriers to new housing construction. The bipartisan bill would authorize $1.5 billion for federal grants to local governments that commit to increasing their supply of […]
Advocacy Update – March 2021 Thursday, March 18, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Advocacy Update – March 2021NATIONAL NEWS Biden Reverses Trump’s Classical Architecture Order In February, President Joe Biden reversed Former President Donald Trump’s move to preference classical architecture in federal buildings as part of the new administration’s review of Trump-era executive orders. Under former President Trump’s executive order, government agencies could mandate an architectural style preference for federal courthouses and […]
Advocacy Update – February 2021 Thursday, February 18, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Advocacy Update – February 2021NATIONAL NEWS Green Infrastructure Investments During AIA National’s virtual Grassroots conference this week, AIA members from across the country met with their U.S. senators and representatives to discuss Congressional investments in green building infrastructure that can address public health and housing needs related to COVID, the pandemic-related economic recession, and our ongoing climate crisis. Attendees […]
Advocacy Update – January 2021 Thursday, January 21, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Advocacy Update – January 2021STATE NEWS State Code Returned to Feb. 1 Implementation Date On Jan. 12, Governor Inslee reversed a Jan. 8 decision by the State Building Code Council which delayed the implementation date of the 2018 building codes from Feb. 1 to July 1, 2021. The governor’s decision returns the implementation date to February 1. AIA […]
2020 Advocacy Actions Monday, December 21, 2020 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on 2020 Advocacy ActionsLocal We endorsed the Seattle Planning Commission’s Growth Strategy White Paper, Evolving Seattle’s Growth Strategy. We provided feedback to SDCI on the Seattle Services Portal. We organized architect focus groups for Seattle Public Utilities’ update on solid waste planning and solid waste storage, access, and collection design issues. We supported Mayor Durkan’s Green New Deal […]
