We're listening. Join the conversation.

Feedback Summaries

• Community Input Summaries for Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA)
• Summaries of City Council Community Design Workshops
• Public feedback on MHA in Downtown and South Lake Union
• Summary of Focus Group feedback on MHA principles
• FAQ and neighborhood-generated comments
• Neighborhood Feedback in a Nutshell
• Community Focus Groups

Online

Reddit "Ask Me Anything"

On March 30 City staff answered questions about affordable housing and HALA on Reddit. Read the dialogue to learn more about HALA and learn from your neighbors. We will be hosting more AMAs, so check our calendar to stay informed.

Consider.it: Online conversations between neighbors (ongoing)

Read the feedback we've received about MHA zoning proposals and share your own thoughts.

HALA Housing Stories

Attending events and talking to Seattlites about their housing situations has been a huge learning experience for the HALA team. After so many listening sessions, we decided to start capturing stories from the people affected by the changes in our city. Here are a few stories from your neighbors on our Youtube channel. Feel free to share your story with us. We will add it to our playlist.

Telephone Town Halls

The Mayor called 70,000 households directly to talk with them about HALA. This was a direct dial program, based on zipcodes on the following dates:

January 31, 2016 (audio recording)
February 2, 2016 (audio recording)
February 4, 2016 (audio recording)

Focus Group (Archive)

Community Focus Groups met for nearly one year to help craft the principles guiding how we implement MHA. Maps of proposed zoning changes are available online and at in-person meetings. Have a look below for links to more information. Please check the calendar often for other opportunities to engage and share your ideas.

We summarized Focus Group input on the MHA implementation principles. This packet includes the key materials that the Focus Groups reviewed and discussed. 

MHA Development Examples

See illustrations of example buildings in various zones under new MHA development standards and affordable housing requirements:

• Residential Small Lot (RSL)
• Lowrise 1 (LR1)
• Lowrise 2 (LR2)
• Lowrise 3 (LR3)
• Midrise (MR)
• Neighborhood Commercial 40 (NC-40)
• Neighborhood Commercial 55 (NC-55)
• Neighborhood Commercial 75 (NC-75)
• Neighborhood Commercial 95 (NC-95)

Focus Group Meeting Materials

January

• Agenda
• MHA Implementing Zoning Maps - Summary of input from HALA Community Focus Groups
• HALA Community Focus Groups Final Packet

November

• Agenda (example provided from the Expansion Area Focus Group; all four October meetings will follow the same agenda, but each has a unique webinar registration link. See left sidebar.)
• Preliminary summaries of Focus Group input on the MHA zoning maps
  • Expansion Area Urban Villages
  • Hub Urban Villages
  • Lower Density Urban Villages
  • Medium Density Urban Villages
• Webinar recordings
  • Expansion Area Urban Villages
  • Hub Urban Villages *written summary
  • Lower Density Urban Villages
  • Medium Density Urban Villages
• Webinar summaries and verbatim submitted questions
  • Expansion Area Urban Villages
  • Hub Urban Villages
  • Lower Density Urban Villages
  • Medium Density Urban Villages

October

• Agenda (example provided from the Expansion Area Focus Group; all four October meetings will follow the same agenda)
• Preliminary summaries of Focus Group input on the MHA zoning maps
  • Expansion Area Urban Villages
  • Hub Urban Villages
  • Lower Density Urban Villages
  • Medium Density Urban Villages

September

• Agenda
  
• Presentation
• Draft examples of development under MHA
• Meeting summary

August

• Agenda (example provided from the Expansion Area Focus Group; all four August meetings will follow the same agenda)
• Draft examples of development under MHA (see MHA Development Examples section above)
• Meeting summaries
  • Expansion Area Focus Group 
  • Hub Urban Village Focus Group
  • Medium Density Urban Village Focus Group
  • Lower Density Urban Village Focus Group

July

• Agenda (example provided from the Expansion Area Focus Group; all four July meetings will follow the same agenda)
• Affordable Housing Development Background Information
• Draft examples of development under MHA (see MHA Development Examples section above)
• Meeting summaries
  • Expansion Area Focus Group 
  • Hub Urban Village Focus Group
  • Medium Density Urban Village Focus Group
  • Lower Density Urban Village Focus Group

June

• Agenda (example provided from the Expansion Area Focus Group; all four June meetings will follow the same agenda)
  
• Seattle's zoning designations: what's allowed?
  • Single Family (including Residential Small Lot)
  • Lowrise
  • Commercial
  • Industrial
• Background information (station boards)
  • Historic Areas
  • Urban Design Quality
  • Transitions
  • Housing Options
  • Assets & Infrastructure
• Meeting summaries
  • Expansion Area Focus Group 
  • Hub Urban Village Focus Group
  • Medium Density Urban Village Focus Group
  • Lower Density Urban Village Focus Group

May

• Agenda (example provided from the Expansion Area Focus Group; all four May meetings will follow the same agenda)
• Draft MHA Implementation Principles
• Meeting summaries
  • Expansion Area Focus Group 
  • Hub Urban Village Focus Group
  • Medium Density Urban Village Focus Group
  • Lower Density Urban Village Focus Group

April

Handouts & Presentations

• Agenda
• Focus Group Process Guidelines
• MHA 1-pager
• Focus Group FAQs
• Focus Group Process Diagram
• Meeting 1 Slideshow Presentation
• List of Focus Group Participants
• Summary of Participants (self-identified characteristics)

Meeting Summary

• Focus Group Aspirations (green cards posted on blue wall)
• Focus Group Q&A - card questions (answers forthcoming)
• Focus Group Breakout Session Notes
• Video recording of the orientation