Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell Proposes New Legislation To Aid Housing Crisis In The City

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell new legislation proposal aims to help the housing crisis in the city.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed legislation will be reviewed by the Land Use Committee. (Photo: Crosscut)

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Proposal

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is proposing legislation to allow property owners to convert commercial buildings into residential housing to increase housing availability in the city.

The legislation proposed by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell includes exemptions and cost reductions for these conversions, such as exempting housing conversions from the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability requirements.

This aligns with Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan to make downtown more residential. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s legislation builds on a state bill that allows tax deferrals for commercial building conversions to affordable housing.

According to a published article by SmartNews, some members of the Seattle City Council, including Councilmembers Tammy Morales and Robert Kettle, have expressed support for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s legislation.

Last year, the city passed legislation to speed up housing development by allowing qualified developers to skip the environmental review process.

Land Use Committee

In a published article by KING5.com, the Land Use Committee will review the proposal before a full council vote. This initiative follows state legislation to promote more housing options by removing restrictions on adding dwelling units to existing structures.

The mayor’s office highlighted a high office vacancy rate in downtown Seattle and emphasized the need to increase housing options in the city.

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