Incentive/Inclusionary Zoning

HDC believes that King County’s many moderate and low wage workers should be able to live affordably in the cities they work in rather than endure long, expensive and polluting commutes that place them far from family and community for too much of the working day. Inclusionary housing policies ensure that a portion of new development in select areas of a city is affordable to moderate wage earning families.

Inclusionary zoning requires developers to make a percentage of housing units in new residential developments available to low- and moderate-income households. In return, developers receive non-monetary compensation-in the form of density bonuses, zoning variances, and/or expedited permits-that reduce construction costs. By linking the production of affordable housing to private market development, inclusionary zoning expands the supply of affordable housing while dispersing affordable units throughout a city or county to broaden opportunity and foster mixed-income communities.

Some inclusionary zoning programs are mandatory, while others are voluntary or incentive-driven.  Some jurisdictions require developers to construct affordable units within the new development, while others allow affordable units to be constructed in another location.  Some jurisdictions require developers to build the units, while other communities allow developers to contribute to an affordable housing fund. Inclusionary zoning is a flexible strategy with a proven track record of meeting a community’s affordable housing needs. Seattle, Redmond, Kirkland and Issaquah have all implemented some type of inclusionary zoning policy.

HDC was one of the primary advocates for the revised incentive zoning policies that Seattle’s City Council adopted in 2008 and that the City of Bellevue has adopted for the Bell-Red Corridor. The intent of the policies is clear: to ensure equitable housing opportunities for current and future residents while implementing Comprehensive Plan goals and guidelines.