Housing

Sleeping in a stairwell when Seattle shelters are full

Last week King County officials activated four severe weather shelters in Seattle for homeless people to sleep inside. With those shelters set to close Wednesday, many people are trying to find someplace to get out of the cold.

Race & Identity

Seattle opens the nation's first transitional housing for LGBTQ+ veterans

This week advocates opened the doors of a first of its kind transitional housing program in Seattle for LGBTQ+ veterans.

Business

80 seniors scramble to find housing after Seattle assisted living facility announces closure

Leadership at the Norse Home assisted living facility in Seattle told residents Sept. 9 it is ceasing operations by next June, to undergo a massive remodel. The closure has more than eighty residents scrambling for new places to live.

Building housing in downtown Seattle just got easier

Soon, developers will have an easier time building apartments in downtown Seattle. That’s because the city council voted 8-1 to exempt residential projects there, along with hotels and research labs, from a time-consuming process called “design review."

Forecast cloudy for social housing in Seattle

The city council chose Thursday to put two competing measures on February's special election ballot. One pumps the publicly-owned affordable housing developer up with a new tax on wealthy companies. The other gives it training wheels and promises more freedom could come later.

King County Council considers housing development for middle-income residents

Government

For homebuyers impacted by racist housing covenants, Washington state offers zero-interest loans

WA renters say unregulated ‘junk fees’ are being used to retaliate, discriminate

While Washington law requires renters to follow all “reasonable” rules set by landlords and restricts certain tenant screening fees, most other fees are not regulated at all by state law. Advocates and attorneys say that creates an opening for housing providers to use excessive fees to target certain renters.

Seattle's accessory dwelling unit boom continues, outnumbering single-family permits 2 to 1

Seattle has entered a new era of housing, with skyrocketing permits for backyard cottages and in-home apartments, primarily in the city's single-family zoned neighborhoods.