Advocates Say Housing Levy Is Critical to Keeping Seattle Affordable and Inclusive

Seattle is considering a nearly $1bn housing levy to create and preserve affordable housing units, staff facilities and invest in homelessness prevention for the city’s lowest-income residents. The levy would charge property owners 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with the owner of a typical Seattle home paying $360 per year. The biggest chunk of money over the seven-year period, $707m, would go toward funding new rental units and extending the life of existing units. Another $122m would go toward operations and maintenance, while homeownership programmes would get $51m.