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Not in YOUR Backyard: Cottages, In-law Apartments, and the Predatory Delay of HALA’s ADU Rules
When it comes to urban homes, it’s hard to imagine anything less threatening than granny flats. But surprisingly, in Seattle last year instill fear they did, provoking a handful of anti-housing activists to appeal proposed rule changes intended to spark construction of in-law apartments and backyard cottages. And in an exasperating turn of events, the appeal was upheld. Of all the 65 recommendations in Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda...Read more » -
Weekend Reading 4/7/17
Alan Dave Roberts’ long article about the rise of what he calls “tribal epistemology” is my lead pick for what you should read. In tribal epistemology, Information is evaluated based not on conformity to common standards of evidence or correspondence to a common understanding of the world, but on whether it supports the tribe’s values and goals and is vouchsafed by tribal leaders. “Good for our side” and “true” begin...Read more » -
Finding the Missing Middle: Rowhouses, Townhouses, and Seattle’s Affordability Plan
This article is part of a series on Seattle’s proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program. In previous articles I identified inconsistencies in the proposal and presented case studies (here, here, here, here) on several housing types. Next up: for-sale townhouses and rowhouses in MHA’s low-rise zones. Neighborhoods that are home to people from a range of income levels need all kinds of housing choices. Townhouses and rowhouses provide modestly sized...Read more » -
Seattle Gets MHA Right in Downtown and SLU
This article is part of a series on Seattle’s proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program. In previous articles, I identified inconsistencies in the proposal and presented case studies (here, here, and here) on several housing prototypes, in all cases finding that MHA would suppress homebuilding and backfire on the city’s affordability goals to varying degrees. This time: MHA in downtown and South Lake Union, where the city got it right....Read more » -
Seattle’s Flawed Plan for Mandatory Housing Affordability Would Suppress ‘Missing Middle’ Housing
This article is part of a series on Seattle’s proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program. Previously, I identified inconsistencies in the proposal and presented case studies (here and here) on two key housing types. In both cases, MHA would suppress homebuilding and backfire on the city’s affordability goals. Next up: apartments in MHA’s low-rise upzones. In Seattle urban planner-speak, “low-rise” means modest-scale multi-family housing such as townhouses, rowhouses, and small—3...Read more » -
How to Fix Seattle’s MHA Proposal For U District Highrises
In previous articles on Seattle’s proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program, I explained the program’s theory and risks, gave a broad critique of the math, and presented a case study of MHA for two types of mid-rise buildings, finding that MHA as currently drafted would suppress homebuilding and jeopardize the city’s affordability goals. Today: MHA’s high-rise upzones. Seattle plans soon to launch MHA in the University District (U District), where...Read more » -
Higher Prices, Fewer Affordable Homes?
Last time, I broadly assessed the math behind Seattle’s proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program and found it flawed but repairable. This time, I take a closer look at the thing I said Seattle policymakers most need to do if MHA is going to deliver on its promise—a promise to build more homes for everyone and more affordable homes for low-income residents, a promise to become a new North American...Read more » -
Checking Seattle’s MHA Math
Since the release of Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability (HALA) plan in July 2015, city policymakers have been plugging away at defining its most ambitious policy, a type of inclusionary zoning called “Mandatory Housing Affordability” (MHA). MHA couples zoning changes that allow larger buildings—“upzones”—with mandates on developers to provide affordable homes or pay into the city’s affordable housing fund. With MHA, Seattle has an opportunity to become a model for...Read more » -
Inclusionary Zoning: The Most Promising—or Counter-productive—of All Housing Policies
Imagine two towns, both committed to helping their low-income residents but short on funding for social services. Both decide to require retailers to sell 5 or 10 percent of their wares at steeply discounted prices to families who qualify for benefits: milk, jeans, refrigerators, whatever. But they do it two different ways. The first town flat-out forces stores to do it, giving them nothing back in exchange. The place gets...Read more » -
The Portland Plan: Down with McMansions, Up with Abundant Housing Options
Editor’s note: This article combines and adapts three articles by the Portland for Everyone coalition’s Michael Andersen. See the originals on this blog, and learn more about the group here. Portland’s approach shares similarities with the Seattle Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda recommendation to allow small duplexes and triplexes in single-family zones without letting property owners erect buildings larger than currently zoned. Growing cities across the US and Canada are...Read more »