Initiative 135: BALLOT TITLE TBD
An initiative to create the Seattle Social Housing Developer to develop, own, and maintain social housing for all of theworkforce and communities in Seattle. Existing afordable housing is limited by the market tools they have been given. Weneed varying and multifaceted strategies to continue building afordable housing. Social housing will work in tandem withnon-profit and federally funded housing developments to pull more housing of of the private market.
THE ORDINANCE
1.
Establishes a Public Developer
which will create publiclyowned, social housing for those making 0-120%2.
Requires City Start-up Support
for the first 18 monthsincluding in-kind staf and ofice space3.
Creates a Process for Public Lands
to undergo a cityfeasibility study to determine housing need and whether the landshould be transferred to the developer before considering the sale of said lands
THE CHARTER
Mission and Goals of the Seattle Social Housing Public Developer. The housing…
●
Will bepublic forever, owned exclusively by the PublicDeveloper and governed by renters, community members, labor,and subject matter professionals
●
Will include a robustmixture of incomelevels fromvery low to moderate income
●
Will have rental rates that arepermanently afordableand not based on what the market dictates
●
Will providerestorative conlict resolutionpriorto the start of any eviction procedures, and ban evictions based onchanges to household income
●
New developments will be built toPassive Housestandards.
●
Should use union labor and establishlabor harmonyagreements
●
Should use a lottery-based,minimal barrier, no-feeor background check application process which doesn’tdiscriminate based on immigration status
●
Should chargeless than 30%of a renters’ monthlyincome in rent
●
Should meetgreen-building standardsfor rehabilitatingacquired buildings
●
Should include daycares, communal kitchens and/or othercommunity resources
The Board of the Public Developer
●
Shall consist of members with a dedication to social housing and equity, including:
○
A voting majority of social housing Public Developer residents (7 members elected by other residents)
1
○
A rank-and-file union member
○
A leader from a community organization providing housing to marginalized communities
○
A green development professional
○
An urban planning professional
○
A public housing finance professional
○
A nonprofit development professional
Resident Governance Councils
Eachmultifamilysocialhousingdevelopmentownedbytheauthorityshallformagovernancecouncil,whichshallincluderesidents that can aid in decision-making processes, receive a budget for their building, and meet regularly with the board.
1
Until there are residents of the developer, the SeattleRenters’ Commission will appoint
