Affordable Housing Design Review Amendments - What & Why

What’s Happening Now?

This interim legislation is in effect through March 6, 2027. It supports housing development by:

• Exempt housing projects from Design Review when they meet Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements through at least one qualifying affordable housing unit.
• Allow housing projects subject to Full Design Review to choose Administrative Design Review instead.

SDCI will evaluate the results of the legislation and use that information to develop permanent code changes.

For more information, visit the Seattle City Council's legislation website and search for council bill number 121243 or ordinance number 127487. 

Project Benefits

This legislation:

• Provides a Design Review exemption for projects that meet Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements through on-site affordable housing.
• Allows housing projects to choose Administrative Design Review instead of Full Design Review.
• Allows the director to waive or modify certain development standards for qualifying MHA projects.
• Allow applicants using Administrative Design Review to return to Full Design Review if desired.
• Remains in effect while the City evaluates permanent updates to the Design Review process.

Learn more on the Design Review Exemption webpage.

The End Result

This legislation streamlines permit review for housing projects while the City develops permanent Design Review updates. The changes support housing production, including affordable housing, during the interim period.

The City is evaluating these temporary changes to determine whether they should become permanent. The goal is to support housing development while maintaining a clear and predictable review process.