City Council votes on HALA-related rezones for Downtown and SLU
On Monday, April 10, the full Seattle City Council will vote to expand the City’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezone program to Downtown and South Lake Union. MHA will require developers to build affordable homes or contribute to a City fund for affordable housing in exchange for zoning changes that add development capacity and expand housing choices. In February, the City Council approved a similar MHA rezone for the U-District.
AIA Seattle has endorsed the aspirations of the City’s HALA-recommended zoning changes to incentivize new housing development of all types, including affordable housing, understanding that new housing must be designed to enhance the quality of the city’s urban fabric. Architects can offer an authoritative voice on how we can create more housing for all income levels while retaining the livability and character of Seattle neighborhoods.
Interested members can contact Seattle City Council member to express their support. You can find your City Council member’s email address and phone number here. If you don’t know your district, you can enter your address here.
AIA Seattle Talking Points
- To equitably meet the needs of our rapidly changing city, Seattle must rethink its housing policies at all levels of affordability, invent new models for housing at all scales, and publicly invest in housing for those most at risk of displacement.
- Increased housing supply must go hand in hand with a vision of a vibrant and livable city, and we endorse increased density as a means of achieving both of these goals.
- The quality of housing options and investment in community amenities, services and transit are critical if Seattle is to remain a great and welcoming place for all to live.
For more information, please contact Kirsten Smith, AIA Seattle’s Manager of Advocacy for the Built Environment.
