Seattle Housing Levy

What is the Seattle Housing Levy?

Since 1981 the Housing Levy has been the cornerstone of funding for affordable housing in Seattle, creating and preserving over 14,000 affordable rental homes and over 900 homeownership opportunities throughout the city. The Housing Levy has also provided long-term and consistent operating, maintenance, and services support for over 1,300 affordable homes. Over the past 40 years, Seattle residents have consistently supported this critical resource, with the most recent Housing Levy receiving a voter approval rate of over 70%.

Why is the Office of Housing developing a proposal to renew the Housing Levy?

Housing Levy funds work together with other local funds, including proceeds from the Payroll Expense Tax and Mandatory Housing Affordability program, to help the Office of Housing and our partners address needs across the entire affordable housing ecosystem. Office of Housing investments are creating more affordable homes than ever, with nearly 6,000 new affordable rental and for-sale homes slated to open in the coming years. However, the need for affordable and available homes in Seattle is greater than ever. With the 2016 Housing Levy set to expire at the end of 2023, the Office of Housing and Director Maiko Winkler-Chin are now developing a proposal to renew it.

In August 2016, Seattle voters approved a $290 million Housing Levy with ambitious affordable housing goals. After five years, the 2016 Housing Levy has exceeded its goals around rental housing production, rental housing preservation, and homeownership, and is on track to meet the remaining goals by the end of 2023.

Summary of 5-Year Progress Toward 7-Year Housing Levy Goals (2017-2021)

Seattle Housing Levy Oversight Committee

With the passage of the Housing Levy, voters also approved the establishment of an oversight committee, for the purpose of monitoring the progress of Levy programs, recommending funding policies, and annually reporting to the Mayor, City Council and the public.

The 13 members of the Housing Levy Oversight Committee, all confirmed by City Council, are selected as follows:

• one City employee appointed by the Mayor
• one City employee appointed by the City Council
• six community members appointed by the Mayor
• five community members appointed by City Council

The current Housing Levy Oversight Committee members include:

Ann Melone, Chair, U.S. Bancorp
Beth Boram, Beacon Development Group
Cara Kadoshima Vallier, Office of Mayor Bruce Harrell
Colin Morgan-Cross, Mercy Housing Northwest
Danien James, The Northwest School
Dan Wise, Catholic Community Services
Denise Rodriguez, Washington Homeownership Resource Center
Erin Christensen Ishizaki, Mithun Architects
Joel Ing, Edge Developers
Patience Malaba, Housing Development Consortium
Pradeepta Upadhyay, InterIm CDA
Traci Ratzliff, City Council Central Staff
Vallerie Fisher, Southeast Seattle Resident

Upcoming Public Meetings

In the coming weeks, the Office of Housing will publish the Director’s Housing Levy Renewal Proposal. The Housing Levy Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which is made up of technical and subject matter experts in the affordable housing field, will then convene to provide feedback on the Director’s proposal.

TAC meetings are open to the public, and members of the public are welcome to join virtually (via Zoom) or in person. There will be a 15-minute public comment period at the beginning of each meeting, and meeting materials will be posted here in advance of each meeting. If you have any questions about these upcoming meetings, please reach out to Stephanie Velasco.

• Technical Advisory Committee Meeting #1
  October 28, 2022, 1-3pm
  In-Person: Boards & Commissions Room, City Hall (600 Fourth Ave, Seattle, WA 98104)
  Virtual: Click here to register
  
  
• Technical Advisory Committee Meeting #2
  November 18, 2022, 1-3pm
  In-Person: Boards & Commissions Room, City Hall (600 Fourth Ave, Seattle, WA 98104)
  Virtual: Click here to register

Upcoming Events

In November and December 2022, the Office of Housing will host Open House events at Housing Levy-supported affordable housing buildings. Please check back in the coming weeks for more details about these events, or click here to sign up for updates about the Seattle Housing Levy and other Office of Housing news.

Public comments received at TAC meetings, Open House events, and via e-mail before December 31, 2022 will help inform the Mayor’s Housing Levy Renewal Proposal.

Housing Levy Renewal Timeline

Summary of Stakeholder Input Received (January – July 2022) 

From January to July 2022, the Office of Housing convened diverse affordable housing stakeholders to assess industry and community needs throughout Seattle. Stakeholders included affordable housing developers, operators, funders, and other partners across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Stakeholder feedback is summarized below.

• We need a significant increase in resources to meet community needs across the entire affordable housing ecosystem.
• We need to address the increasing costs of new development and long-term maintenance needs of our existing portfolio of City-funded affordable housing.
• We need targeted equity investments and support for organizations rooted in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
• We need support for our workforce and services for residents, in order to create new affordable homes and ensure sustainable operations of existing affordable homes.
  
  

• Housing Levy Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting agendas and other materials will be posted here in advance of TAC meetings. Meeting notes and any written public comments submitted to the TAC will also be posted here.
• The Council-adopted Housing Levy Administrative & Financial (A&F) Plan, and the attached Housing Funding Policies, guide the use of Housing Levy funds, as well as other fund sources administered by the Office of Housing.
• The Office of Housing publishes annual Housing Levy Reports, which describe how levy funds have been used each year. Click here to view all available Housing Levy Reports.