Seattle Social Housing Developer Builds Greater Momentum Around Social Housing

In February, the City of Seattle voters approved Proposition 1A to fund the previously approved Seattle Social Housing Developer, a public development authority that will create social housing in Seattle. The City of Seattle has perhaps made the most headway in making social housing a reality, with Initiative 135 (I-135), which created the Seattle Social Housing Developer, being approved in 2023.

Proposition 1A levies a 5% tax on any dollar over $1M in total employee compensation to fund the Seattle Social Housing Developer and is expected to raise about $50M per year for social housing.  This measure was originally slated to be placed on the November 2024 general election ballot, but Seattle’s city council opted to place the measure on a February special election ballot instead, alongside a competing ballot measure, Proposition 1B, that would have repurposed a smaller pot of existing JumpStart payroll tax funds and would not have funded middle-income housing development. The measure passed with a 60% vote despite substantial opposition from the business community.

The funding of the Seattle Social Housing Developer marks an additional hurdle overcome by social housing in its application in the US. As the Global Policy Leadership Academy continues to educate leaders around the US on social housing through its Vienna Social Housing Field Study, we look forward to seeing how different jurisdictions apply such lessons to their specific housing challenges. Interested participants can learn more about the field study, and register for one of two trips this year, here. Registration for the April trip closes March 8, 2025.