Sam Assefa (Office of Community Planning and Development), Steve Walker (Office of Housing), Erin House (Seattle for Everyone), Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Mayor Ed Murray, Marty Kooistra (Housing Dev. Consortium), Maiko WInkler-Chin (SCIDpda), Doris Koo (YCC)
On April 14 Mayor Murray signed legislation to rezone parts of South Lake Union and Downtown that will fall under the Mandatory Housing Affordability program (MHA). MHA requirements for Downtown/South Lake Union will result in an estimated 2,100 additional affordable units over the next 10 years. MHA legislation was passed and enacted for the U District in March of this year. YCC partners have joined with Housing Development Consortium Seattle-King County, Seattle for Everyone, and others over the past year to help shape the framework and advocate for this legislation to create more affordable homes to help counter the displacement forces now threatening core Seattle neighborhoods.
YCC’s Doris Koo and others joined Mayor Ed Murray as he signed Seattle’s Downtown and South Lake Union MHA rezones into law. The signing ceremony took place at the Bush Hotel, where the mayor also announced proposed MHA legislation for the Chinatown-International District and Little Saigon.
Under MHA, all new development is required to either include rent-restricted homes for low-income families or make a payment to support affordable housing. MHA will produce an estimated 6,000 new affordable housing units in Seattle over 10 years.
>>More information on Mandatory Housing Affordability