Originally posted at http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/rental-control-is-not-the-answer-just-look-at-sf/ Rent control is not the answer to Seattle’s housing crisis. But as housing demand outpaces housing supply, renters are bearing the resulting brunt of rent increases. Understandably, for renters who want to halt these rising costs, rent control sounds like an appealing idea. Some politicians are seizing upon the heated emotions […]
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June 8, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Okamoto
Seattle Deserves a Complete Housing Solution
Seattle is the fastest growing big city in the U.S., and Seattle’s infrastructure is bursting at the seams. Skyrocketing housing prices are squeezing low-income Seattleites — often people of color, immigrants, and refugees — out of Seattle. Efforts to improve the problem have been under way for some time. For example, subsidies help low-income renters […]
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June 5, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP # 369 – Why The Call From Some For Rent Control?
Housing affordability in Seattle has become a crisis with the highest rent increases of any major U.S. city in 2012 and 2013. Seattle is now among the nation’s ten most expensive cities. More than 45% of Seattle rental households are now considered rent-burdened. A 2015 Washington State Housing Needs Assessment found there are only 34 […]
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April 15, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
Town Hall about Rising Rents with Councilmember Sawant
Next week, on Thursday, 4/23, at 6:00 pm in City Council Chambers, Councilmember Kshama Sawant and I are co-hosting a Town Hall to discuss the impacts of rising rents on Seattle residents and what we can do about it. I hope that you can join us. Sponsoring organizations include the Community Housing Caucus, the Church […]
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March 27, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
March Council Edition
The March edition of Council Edition is available online. Councilmembers O’Brien, Sawant and I join host Brian Callanan to discuss the city’s housing crisis, including tenants’ rights, encampments, and linkage fees. We also discuss participatory budgeting and Seattle’s minimum-wage increase.
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January 23, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
One Night Count Numbers Jump 21%
Each year the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, organizes a one night count of people all over King County sleeping in their cars, in doorways, under bridges, in greenbelts, and in doorways. This year 1000 people participated in the count. This year, these volunteers counted 3,772 people without shelter in King County last night. This […]
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January 9, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Bagshaw
The Year in Review: Oh the Places We’ve Been and the Path We’re on for 2015!
Thank you so much for helping make 2014 such a powerful year. It is no secret how much I love this city and my job, and I am proud of the work and accomplishments we are achieving together. It is an enormous privilege to represent you on City Council. I would like to share with […]
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November 7, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
November Council Edition: City budget, homeless encampments and more
Check out the November episode of City Inside/Out: Council edition, where I appear with Councilmembers Time Burgess and Kshama Sawant. With host Brian Callanan we discuss the city budget, homeless encampments, and more.
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October 30, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Bagshaw
From Streets to Shelter
Even though we provide millions of dollars for supportive housing, according to the One Night Count last January 3,123 people remain on our streets county-wide, without permanent shelter. This is a public health and public safety crisis–for those who are unsheltered and for everyone in the community. I heard powerful testimony from those who attended […]
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September 19, 2014January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
“Stepping Forward” May be a Step Backward for Many
“Stepping Forward” May be a Step Backward for Many Proposal to Raise Rent May Make Affordable Housing Programs Out of Reach Here and below is a letter that I sent yesterday to Julian Castro, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In the letter I request that HUD adopt new emergency administrative […]