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The City of Seattle and Affordable Housing |
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The City of Seattle is responsible for developing its own comprehensive plan and goals as directed by the Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A.040). One section of the City’s plan addresses housing affordability within the city limits. The Office of Housing and the Human Services Department both work to make the housing goals of the Plan a reality. It should be noted that Seattle residents, in the past, have supported the City’s efforts to provide affordable housing by approving “four temporary property tax increases since 1980 to fund affordable housing for households with incomes below 80% median income….Seattle’s most recent housing measure was an $86 million levy passed in 2002.”[1]
The Seattle Office of Housing (OH) lists its strategic goals in the update to the 2004 Consolidated Plan. The OH wishes to create a city in which “[l]ow-income households are able to reside in City-funded affordable housing [and]…a greater number of families and individuals are able to purchase a home in Seattle.”[2] This will indeed be a daunting task: The robust economy created 74,400 jobs in the city between the years 1995 and 2001; the housing market has not kept pace.[3] The Human Service Department has also had housing success in the below-affordable range. A healthy economy, desirable climate, and natural amenities have made Seattle an attractive place to live for Washington State residents as well as many newcomers. However, with a greater number of city residents looking for housing, the values have increased and demand outweighs supply. As a result, areas with older buildings and a lack of close amenities that contain or draw low-income individuals often, over time, become ripe for developers and home hunters with available funds.
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In the Housing Strategic Plan section of the 2004 update to the Consolidated Plan (p. 11), the City acknowledges that gentrification does occur within the urban growth boundary surrounding Seattle. Gentrification has gone by many names such as “‘revival,’ ‘revitalization,’ or ‘renaissance,’” and it is believed that there is “a resurgence of gentrification in many different cities….” [4] Indeed, one only needs to do some groundtruthing in areas around Seattle to see that this has been occurring. In addition to the Plan, gentrification is mentioned in a document disseminated by the City titled Space for Artists 2002; the process of gentrification is explained this way:
Traditionally, artists have managed to find space in the less desirable nooks and crannies of the world’s cities. In all too many cases, however, the artist who finds inexpensive space in an out-of-the-way neighborhood has been the harbinger of a phenomenon called “gentrification.” The pattern is a familiar one—first come the artists, then the galleries, shops, restaurants and higher-priced housing. And all too soon the artist—the urban pioneer—is forced to look for a new wilderness.[5]
(If you are interested in research focusing on artists and housing, please follow this link.) Affordable housing is of paramount importance; and acknowledging factors that cause high rents and home prices is very necessary if this type of housing is to be made available to those that need it within highly urbanized environments. To illustrate, the number of Seattle households paying more than half of their income towards housing in the year 2003 was 20,000 renters and 11,000 homeowners. In fact, according to the City, "more than 76,000 Seattle households were paying too much for housing—more than 30 percent of household income, a common affordability measure." An overwhelming number of the households mentioned above are low-income wage earners and people on fixed incomes. As a matter of fact, nearly half the housing units the City funded in 2003 (7,793) were reserved for extremely low-income households with incomes up to 30 percent of Seattle’s median household income ($16,350 for an individual or $21,050 for a family of three in 2003).[6]
SEATTLE OFFICE OF HOUSING The OH is a department where one can find many city-based programs, as well as links to non-city programs for those seeking to rent or purchase affordable housing within Seattle.
Homeownership The OH Home Buyer Guide (2001) is a guide designed for those that are hoping to buy a home in the city. It is very short and to the point; the Guide presents the process of home buying in a fashion that is easy to read and follow for most. As a result, there is a list titled: "In a nutshell...How to Buy a House"[7] that states:
While this seems a bit simplistic upon first glance, the text goes on to present one with the necessary threads that connect to the fabric of "homeownership help" available in Seattle. A hopeful homeowner is directed by the City's guide to receive home buyer education from the Community Home Ownership Center (CHOC), HomeSight, Fremont Public Association (FPA), El Centro de la Raza, International District Housing Alliance (IDHA), Urban League, and most financial institutions. The City and HomeStreet Bank support three home purchase finance options for employees of various departments: (a) Hometown Home Loan Program; (b) Homeownership Opportunity Initiative; and (c) Location Efficient Mortgages. This is a wonderful opportunity for various employees such as those of the University of Washington, the Seattle School District, Fred Hutchinson and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, King County, and others. However, what if you are not an employee on one of the "lucky loan lists"? Fear not, there is assistance. [9] The City funds several non- and for-profit organizations with the goal of promoting affordable homeownership in Seattle. The funds come from Federal HOME and HOPE program dollars as well as levy monies approved by Seattle residents. In this arena, the City directs a home-hunter to:
Renting The City also offers options for affordable renting within the city limits. The City has several rental options available to current residents and newcomers alike. To qualify for Low-income housing in Seattle, household income must be at or below 80% of the area median income (the rent rates are calculated using tables from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]). The percent of median income limits (as of May, 2004) for Seattle are displayed in Table 1 (all figures adapted from information supplied by OH in the tables from HUD).
Table 1.
The City further divides low-income housing into two basic categories: very low-income and workforce housing. Very low-income This is a category for individuals and families that earn up to 30% of the area median income. If a person or family qualifies for this category the City directs them to: Apartment Finder, Seattle Housing Authority, and Emergency Rental Assistance.
Apartment finder. This is an organization that provides lists containing housing availability within Washington and Oregon States. The housing is for those that make less than 80% of the area median income. They show listings for units that are funded "through a variety of government low-income programs such as Section 8 Housing- both HUD Project Based subsidy programs and Housing Authority (voucher-based) programs, USDA Rural Housing Service Rental Assistance program, Low Income Housing Tax Credit and other low-income housing programs." They go on to state: "There isn't just one low-income program out there - we try and show you your options!" [11] This organization formed because there was no one website that connected people to information that was this diverse and cross-departmental. Seattle Housing Authority. The Seattle Housing Authority is an organization run by a board of seven members appointed by the Mayor of Seattle. SHA provides affordable housing to over 24,000 residents earning less than 80% of the Seattle area median income. SHA owns and operates 5,300 public housing units that are subsidized by HUD, and they "also administers the federal Housing Choice Voucher program, which used to be known as 'Section 8'."[12] (For research focusing on the Housing Choice Voucher Program follow this link.) Emergency Rental Assistance. This program is under the aegis of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD). Short term rental services are avialable to city residents that qualify. The program is operated by the Salvation Army under a contract with the HSD. The one-time emergency rent assistance is available through the Expanded Rent Assistance Collaboration Program (ERACE). To qualify for this program's rental assistance:
Workforce housing The workforce housing category is for those that earn between 50 and 85% of the area median income. Under this category, the City specifically directs the workforce qualifiers to Capital Hill Housing Improvement Program (CHHIP), Central Area Development Association (CADA), Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA), Historic Seattle, Housing Resources Group (HRG), Inter*Im, and Seattle Chinatown/International District Preservation & Development Authority (SCIDPDA). Finally, the City has another list (Additional Renter's Resources) that is an amalgamation of rental resources, assistance information, and frequently asked questions.
SEATTLE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT The Human Services Department (HSD) has been included on this page not for their involvement with affordable housing directly, but rather their involvement with emergency services and "safety net" programs. In their Strategic Investment Plan the HSD outline their purpose and goals vis-à-vis the community residents. Of particular note is their involvement and support in the prevention of domestic violence and child abuse, homelessness, youth homelessness, and the loss of a "roof over your head." Most of those the HSD targets are in need of services due to low- or no-income status as well as being victims of mental or physical abuse. The efforts of the HSD are directly tied to affordable housing because they assist in helping people get back on their feet, so to speak. In doing so, the HSD contributes to the ongoing effort of affordable housing provision by helping low- to no-income individuals and victims of violence get to the point where they can secure residence in home within their budget.
[1] ( The City of Seattle, 2004) [2] ( The City of Seattle, 2004) [3] ( The City of Seattle, 2004) [4] (Wyly and Hammel, 1999, p. 723) [5] (The City of Seattle, 2002) [6] ( Seattle Office of Housing, 2003, pp. 3-4) [7] (Seattle Office of Housing, 2001, p. 5) [8] (Seattle Office of Housing, 2001, p. 5) [9] (Seattle Office of Housing, 2001) [10] (Seattle Office of Housing, 2001, p. 8) [11] (Multifamily Affordable Properties) [12] (Seattle Housing Authority, 2004) [13] (Human Services Division, 2002)
References Multifamily Affordable Properties.aptfinder.org. Retrieved May 10, 2004, from http://aptfinder.org/cgi-bin/index.pl Seattle Housing Authority. (January 23, 2004). About Us. Retrieved April 29, 2004, from http://www.sea-pha.org/aboutsha/about00.htm Seattle Human Services Department. (March 07, 2002). Short Term Rent Assistance Services Available to Low Income Households. Retrieved May 13, 2004, from http://cityofseattle.net/humanservices/csd/survivalservices/Erace.htm Seattle Human Services Department. (April 14, 2004). Human Services Strategic Investment Plan. Retrieved May 01, 2004, from http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/SIP/SIP.htm Seattle Office of Housing. Home Buyer Guide & Assistance Programs. Retrieved April 28, 2004, from http://www.seattle.gov/housing/02-LookingForHousing/Buying&Owning.htm
Seattle Office of Housing. (2002). Space for Artists 2002. Retrieved May 11, 2004, from http://seattle.gov/housing/07FreePublications/ArtistsHousing-Seattle.pdf
Seattle Office of Housing. (2003). 2003 Report of Accomplishments. Retrieved May 01, 2004, from http://www.seattle.gov/housing/07-FreePublications/Office_of_Housing--2003AnnualReport.pdf
The City of Seattle. (2004, February 13). The City of Seattle's 2004 Update to the Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development. Retrieved April 28, from http://www.cityofseattle.net/humanservices/director/ConsolidatedPlan/2004Update/default.htm Wyly, E.K. and Hammel, D.J. (1999) Islands of Decay in Seas of Renewal: Housing Policy and the Resurgence of Gentrification. Housing Policy Debate 10(4): 711-768. |
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