housing

Apodments: Affordable Housing Or Flawed Developments?

The Conversation With Ross Reynolds — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:54:36 +0000

The Seattle City Council is considering a moratorium on apodments, the tiny rental units with shared kitchens that have been cropping up around town. Critics complain that apodment developers are able to avoid environmental and design review.

At issue is a loophole in the city land-use code. In Seattle a single-dwelling unit is defined in large part by whether or not it has a kitchen, and a building with nine kitchens triggers a design review. That means buildings with dozens of apartments, but only seven or eight kitchens, are able to avoid review.

Apodment supporters say the bottom line is, more cheap apartments are needed. Ross Reynolds talks design and development of apodments with listeners.

Goodbye Greyhound, Hello Huge Hotel

Liz Jones — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:29:52 +0000

A new mega-hotel proposed for downtown Seattle aims to draw more big conventions to the city. The developer posted its official public notice with the city Thursday, as a first step in the approval process. The proposal is to build a 43-story tower on the block that’s currently home to the Greyhound bus station.

After 40 Years In Yesler Terrace, One Resident Looks To The Future

Dominic Black — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:48:45 +0000

Kristin O'Donnell loves meetings. "Absolutely my hobby. I do enjoy meetings," she tells me over a cup of tea in the Panama Hotel. Meetings, she says, offer a way to affect change in her community. And besides, she likes to put on a show. "To a large extent community organizing is theater; it works just often enough that I'm hooked."

Microhousing: Small Spaces Raise Big Questions

Jeannie Yandel — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:13:03 +0000

Dane Corrida works as a hotel manager for a luxury cruise line based in Seattle. He owns a house on Capitol Hill, but since he spends most of his time working on the boats, he rents it out. If he has a couple of weeks off here and there, he can usually charm a friend or two into letting him couch surf.

Housing Prices Climb In Seattle, But Have They Climbed All The Way To Recovery?

Producer — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:47:11 +0000

Seattle homes are now worth 14.4 percent more than they were a year ago. That’s according to Seattle based real estate firm Zillow, who release monthly reports on the value of homes in Seattle and elsewhere in the region. On the national level, the US has just made it through our 12th straight month of increasing home values. Top Zillow officials say that these numbers are a good indicator that local and national housing markets are showing significant improvements. Ross Reynolds talks with Zillow's Cheif Economist Stan Humphries about buying, selling and renting in western Washington.

Sequestration Suspends King County Housing Vouchers

Patricia Murphy — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:05:56 +0000

The King County Housing Authority has stopped issuing new Section 8 vouchers. The program is federally subsidized through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The move is a result of the impending reduction in those funds due to sequestration.

Scam Websites Target Applicants To Seattle’s Low-Income Housing

Liz Jones — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 03:44:57 +0000

Watch out for scammers. That’s Seattle Housing Authority’s warning to people who are going online this week to apply for the city’s Section 8 housing lottery. Agency officials caution that some misleading sites have been set up to trick people into submitting their personal information to the wrong place.

Your Housing Questions Answered

Steve Scher — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

The housing market is showing signs of recovery and construction has started once again on developments delayed by the recession. That doesn’t mean everyone is in good shape. Many homeowners remain underwater, with home values nowhere near the purchase price. Then there are the questions about refinancing or buying something new. Real estate and housing experts Richard Hagar and Linda Taylor are here to help. Call 206.543.5869 with your questions or send us an email at weekday@kuow.org.

Annual Homeless Count Focuses Beyond The Numbers

Liz Jones — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:25:47 +0000

In the pre-dawn hours this Friday, hundreds of volunteers will fan out across King County to look for people sleeping in alleys, parks, shopping centers and city busses. The effort is part of the county’s annual One Night Count, which aims to get an annual head-count of people who are homeless.

Vulcan Bids On Yesler Terrace Makeover

Deborah Wang — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:04:32 +0000

The Seattle Housing Authority is preparing to redevelop Yesler Terrace, a 30-acre site that houses 1,200 low-income residents near the city’s downtown. Vulcan Real Estate is one of two private companies competing to become the lead development partner. The Seattle Housing Authority Board is scheduled to choose the winning bidder today.