Resolution _________________

A RESOLUTION concerning the development of a Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda and calling for establishment of a Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Advisory Committee to be jointly convened by the Mayor and Council.

WHEREAS, ensuring a diversity of housing types at a broad range of prices is integral to the health and well-being of Seattle residents and to the economic vitality and social vibrancy of the City; and

WHEREAS, the City is experiencing strong economic growth fueling demand for rental and homeownership housing for households of all income levels; and

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council desire to ensure that the Seattle's growth translates into quality housing options for new and existing residents; and

WHEREAS, average apartment rents in Seattle increased 5.6% from Spring 2011 to Spring 2012, 9.3% from Spring 2012 to Spring 2013, and 8.8% from Spring 2013 to Spring 2014, according to Dupree + Scott Apartment Advisors Annual Apartment Reports; and

WHEREAS, the City continues to lose units affordable to lowand moderate-income households due to building sales, renovation, redevelopment, and other market factors that lead to rent increases;

WHEREAS, according to 2007-2011 American Community Survey (ACS) Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data, 43% of Seattle renter households are burdened by housing costs and 21% of Seattle renter households are severely burdened by housing costs meaning they pay more than onehalf of their household incomes for rent; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2007 -2011 ACS CHAS data, more than 76% of Seattle renter households with incomes of 30 percent of area median or less are severely burdened by housing costs; and

WHEREAS, the number of unsheltered homeless in Seattle continues to increase as reported by the "One Night Count:" 1,898 on January 27, 2012, 1,989 on January 25, 2013, and 2,303 on January 24, 2014; and

WHEREAS, a severe shortage of very lowand low-income housing poses a significant barrier to the Committee to End Homelessness' work to end homelessness for all homeless men, women, families, and youth in King County; and

WHEREAS, Seattle, in collaboration with King County and other jurisdictions assumes an active role in the Committee to End Homelessness' regional efforts to prevent homelessness and to help people move quickly to stable and supportive housing; and

WHEREAS, the lack of affordable housing has significant race and social justice implications as low income persons of color are disproportionally at risk of displacement; and

WHEREAS, the City's Race and Social Justice Initiative seeks to eliminate racial and social disparities by implementing policies and programs to achieve racial and social equity in areas including employment, education, and housing; and

WHEREAS, there are currently 325,000 housing units in the City, and the City is planning for 70,000 new households over the next 20 years; and

WHEREAS, the City will be adopting goals and policies aimed to address both supply and demand for housing over the 20 years, as estimated by a housing needs analysis as part of the Comprehensive Plan process; and

WHEREAS, the City has a variety of existing programs and policies that assist in providing housing affordable to households at or below 80% of area median income including the Rental Housing Production and Preservation program; down payment assistance; rental assistance programs; MultiFamily Tax Exemption (MFTE), incentive zoning, and others; and

WHEREAS, these existing programs and policies alone are unlikely to provide and preserve the number of affordable units that will be required to meet the future affordable housing needs of households across the City; and

WHEREAS, Seattle continues to lose existing affordable units to housing cycle changes that can include subsidized housing conversion, condominium conversions, demolition, and rent increases; and

WHEREAS, Seattle has a strong non-profit and for-profit housing development community that wants to participate in discussions about how to provide housing for a diversity of household types and incomes; and

WHEREAS, Washington State law, including RCW 35.21.830, currently preempts jurisdictions including Seattle from instituting rent-stabilization policies to mitigate rent increases causing the City to consider other means to achieve housing affordability; and

WHEREAS, in 2013 the Council adopted Resolution 31444 that set out a work program for reviewing affordable housing programs and policies, including incentive zoning; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 31444, the Council commissioned reports examining national best practices for increasing the availability of affordable housing in order to identify new strategies for Seattle; and

WHEREAS, as a result of this work, the Council intends to make policy decisions in the Fall of 2014 regarding incentive zoning and other affordable housing programs that will be incorporated in the proposed Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda described in Section 2 of this Resolution and

WHEREAS, the City is in the process of reviewing and updating the Comprehensive Plan, including the Housing Element that will include a goal for very low-, low-, and moderateincome housing in Seattle for the next 20 years; and

WHEREAS, the City submits annually to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development a Consolidated Plan that outlines how federal funding will be allocated to meet Seattle's affordable housing needs; and

WHEREAS, the Planning Commission produced a white paper in 2013 entitled "Family-Sized Housing: An Essential Ingredient to Attract and Retain Families with Children in Seattle" detailing needs and potential solutions for family housing; and

WHEREAS, the City will soon begin planning efforts for a proposed voter-renewal of a housing levy, historically the City's most significant and successful tool for funding the preservation and production of affordable housing, anticipated to be put on the ballot in 2016; and

WHEREAS, the City should refer to existing housing plans and initiatives when developing the Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda that will: include systematic data collection and tracking methods; clearly identify current and projected affordable housing needs over the next ten years; gauge the ability of the City's existing programs and policies to meet those needs; make recommendations for new or revised programs and policies designed to meet the City's projected housing needs; and estimate gaps in meeting housing needs that may remain.

NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. The Council and Mayor propose to work collaboratively to develop a Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda that will seek to support development and preservation of a diversity of housing types and rents/prices for the residents of the City over the next ten years.

Section 2. The Council and Mayor propose that a Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Advisory Committee be jointly convened by the Council and Mayor to evaluate potential housing strategies. The advisory committee will be supported by staff of the Office of Housing, Department of Planning and Development, Office of Policy and Innovation and other city agencies as appropriate, and by an outside consultant to assist with public involvement, additional research, and facilitation. The work of the advisory committee should be informed by Council-appointed consultants' report findings and studies other jurisdictions have done or commissioned related to affordable housing strategies.

Section 3. At a minimum the agenda should include:

* Current and estimated needs for affordable rental and homeownership housing according to household size and income, as follows: up to 30% AMI, greater than 30% of AMI to 60% AMI, greater than 60% of AMI to 80% AMI, and, if data is available, greater than 80% of AMI based on reliable data sources including the United States Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);

* Current and estimated housing development, both income/rent-restricted and market-rate;

* Current and estimated funding for affordable housing in Seattle and estimated net-new affordable housing and populations served by household income level as a result of such funding;

* Recommendations concerning new programs or policies targeted to market-rate housing development and projected impact on housing affordability and expected availability of housing from such recommendations;

* Recommendations concerning new funding, programs, or policies for affordable housing production and preservation;

* Recommendations for preserving existing affordable housing, subsidized by any source or naturally occurring; and

* Recommendations regarding increasing access to permanent housing for people who are currently homeless.

Section 4. The Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Advisory Committee should complete its work and issue a report to the Mayor and Council by May 30, 2015.

Section 5. Nothing in this Resolution is meant to preclude the Council or Mayor from proposing or adopting policies sooner in order to preserve and increase affordable housing opportunities.

Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2014, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day

of ______________________, 2014.

_________________________________

President ___________of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING:

_________________________________

Edward B. Murray, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2014.

____________________________________

Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

(Seal)

Traci Ratzliff Leg, Housing Afford&LivabilityAgenda RES September 9, 2014 Version 1