Funding Announcements & Application

At least once per year the Office of Housing publishes a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Rental Housing Program. The notice describes specific funding priorities and requirements for each available fund source, of which the Seattle Housing Levy is traditionally the largest. OH's funding announcements are often part of a larger combined announcement of funds for homeless housing and services across King County.

For homeownership projects, a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is published twice per year. 

Preparing Projects for Application

The Office of Housing's Rental Housing Program funds the development of affordable rental housing in Seattle using the Housing Levy Rental Preservation and Production Program funds, federal funds, and other fund sources. The steps below describe basic steps prior to application for Rental Housing Program funds. 
Priority Review and Contact List (Updated August 2020).

Pre-Application Meeting

Project sponsors must schedule a pre-application meeting with Office of Housing lending staff to determine eligibility prior to application. OH encourages pre-application meetings in the early stages of project development to allow for meaningful feedback and guidance in relation to OH funding requirements and priorities.  

Certification of Consistency with Consolidated Plan

To be eligible to apply for OH funding, and as requirement for certain other non-City of Seattle funding sources, proposed projects must receive a letter from the Office of Housing that certifies that the project is consistent with the City of Seattle Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development. Applicants must provide a complete Consistency Application at least 30 days in advance of when the certification is needed. Please plan accordingly. 
 
Download the Consistency Application and follow the instructions to submit.

Siting Determination

To be eligible to apply for OH funding, proposed projects must comply with the Development Siting Policy described in Chapter X.1 of the Housing Funding Policies. Siting determinations are provided by email and copies must be included with applications for funding from OH. 
 
To request a Siting Determination, please send an email to sheila.viswanathan@seattle.gov with the subject line “Siting Determination Request” and ALL of the following information about the proposed project. 

  • Name of the proposed project
  • Full address, including ZIP code
  • Total number of units
  • Complete counts of units by AMI restriction (e.g., 10 units at 30% AMI, 20 units at 50% AMI, 1 unrestricted, etc.)
    • Unit counts by AMI must add up to the stated total
  • Name of the sponsoring organization
  • Name of the development consultant/organization, if different from sponsor
  • Brief general description of the population to be housed
  • Anticipated timeframe to apply for OH funding 

Important: 

  • Any missing information will delay the process. Please allow at least 30 days for processing.
  • Applicants should request a Siting Determination as soon as they have solidified the unit AMI details of the proposed project enough that they will not change before application to OH.
  • Siting Determinations are valid for one year from the date they are provided unless withdrawn before then by the requestor. It is the responsibility of project sponsors to request new Siting Determinations once old ones expire. OH staff will not send reminders about expiring Siting Determinations.
  • If you receive a Siting Determination but decide not to pursue development further before it expires, please advise OH. 

In addition, affordable housing developers can request information about the current status of potential development sites with regard to the Development Siting Policy for exploratory purposes. This information is provided as a courtesy and is not the same as an official Siting Determination. To request this information, developers may send an email with the full address of the site in question and the subject line “Development Siting Check” to sheila.viswanathan@seattle.gov.  

Neighborhood Notification & Community Relations Guidelines

Required application elements for most funding applications to OH will include proof of Neighborhood Notification and a draft Community Relations Plan. The exact requirements are summarized in the Neighborhood Notification and Community Relations Guidelines. Before submitting an application to OH, neighbors within 500-feet of the project location must be notified of the proposed project. To create a list, please visit the King County Parcel Viewer.

2024 Rental Housing Notice of Funding Availability 

The Seattle Office of Housing awarded $108.2 million in Fall 2024 for the preservation and new construction of affordable, rental housing in the city of Seattle. This 2024 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) describes the goals for our housing investments, states resources now allocated, emphasizes key policies, and outlines the application funding process.

The preservation and production of affordable housing continues to be foundational for thriving and equitable communities. The 2024 NOFA funded projects that address displacement, create, or preserved access to housing for people experiencing homelessness, and increased access to opportunity. The projects that OH has funded deliver quality, affordable housing for low-income individuals and families, our elders, and our neighbors who work full-time or multiple jobs and still struggle to make ends meet.

Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the $108.2 million investment in affordable housing on January 16, 2025, marking the first full allocation of funds from Seattle’s newly approved 2023 Housing Levy.

The 2024 NOFA recipients are as follows:

Building Name 
Sponsor 
Population to be Served  Homes  Neighborhood 
Belmont
DESC
Permanent Supportive Housing 120 Capitol Hill
Chancery Place
Catholic Housing Services
Seniors 85 First Hill
Greenwood Nest Apartments
Together, We Grow (TWG Development) and Ethiopian Community in Seattle
Low-income families and individuals 92 Greenwood
Lexington and Concord
YWCA
Homeless and low-income families and individuals 83 Belltown
Little Saigon Landmark
Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) 
Low-income families 70 Chinatown-International District
Sweetgrass Flats
Chief Seattle Club   
Permanent Supportive Housing 84 Central District
Vivo South
SRM and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle 
Low-income families and individuals 121 Lower Queen Anne/Uptown

Information about Pre-Application Meetings, Consistency Letters, Siting Determinations, and Neighborhood Notification and Community Relations requirements can be found under ‘Preparing Projects for Application’ on the Funding Announcements & Application page.

Housing

Maiko Winkler-Chin, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 5700, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94725, Seattle, WA , 98124-4725
Phone: (206) 684-0721
Fax: (206) 233-7117
Housing@seattle.gov

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We partner to create affordable housing by equitably investing to prevent displacement and increase opportunities for people to live in Seattle.