Seattle officials recently unveiled a plan to create 6,000 units of affordable housing in the city.
Some have called the measure a "grand bargain" between real estate developers and affordable housing advocates. The legislation includes a commercial linkage fee, called the Affordable Housing Impact Mitigation Program. It requires developers to pay a fee for each square foot of new commercial development.
Funds from those fees, ranging from $5 to $17 per square foot, will be used to pay for new affordable housing units. Also part of the plan is a requirement for new multifamily developments to set aside between 5% and 8% of units for affordable housing for 50 years. Residents who earn up to 60% of the area median income, currently $37,680 for individuals and $53,760 for families of four, would be eligible for the affordable units.
In addition, the city will consider increasing development capacity. In the downtown and South Lake Union areas, new developments would be permitted to have an extra 1,000 sf per floor. Outside of the main downtown area, new buildings would be permitted to add an additional story.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Jun 10, 2020
60-unit independent senior living facility completes in Crystal Lake, Ill.
UrbanWorks designed the project.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 9, 2020
Two 56-story prefabricated towers will make up Singapore’s newest residential district
ADDP Architects designed the project.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 4, 2020
Roof hatches selected for infill townhomes in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood
Townhome project in Little Havana, Miam, Fla., uses BILCO roof hatches for reliability, code compliance.
Multifamily Housing | May 29, 2020
New multifamily project includes energy storage as an amenity
Each battery is linked to an on-site solar panel array.
Coronavirus | May 26, 2020
Multifamily developers report mounting delays in permitting and starts due to coronavirus pandemic
More than half (53%) of multifamily developer respondents reported construction delays in the jurisdictions where they operate, according to the third edition of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) COVID-19 Construction Survey.
Multifamily Housing | May 8, 2020
Nashville's newest residential tower will rise 416 feet
Goettsch Partners is designing the project.
Multifamily Housing | May 8, 2020
'Lakehouse' is the first multifamily project in Colorado to receive WELL Precertification
Stantec and Muñoz + Albin are the project's architects.
Senior Living Design | May 5, 2020
5 memory care communities with a strong sense of mission
Communities in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia display excellence in memory care facility development, design, and construction.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 23, 2020
Tankless water heaters: 12 things to know about these energy savers for multifamily housing
Twelve factors to consider in using tankless water heaters in multifamily housing.