Housing Developments: Taxing headlines worth being riled up over

Two tax bills, but no tax law yet.

The Senate passed its tax bill, HR 1,  at 2 am EST Saturday, only hours after a final draft of the bill had been finalized. Two days later, much remains unclear about the bill’s contents, but the affordable housing community is not impressed, to say the least.

The fight’s not over yet, though. This week House- and Senate-appointed conferees will negotiate points of difference between the bills passed by each body. Advocates should continue urging their representatives to start over and work towards a bipartisan plan. More info and talking points at our tax reform hub and @HDC_SeaKC.

Other Developments…

  • HDC Members and friends: We’d love to see you at the Annual Meeting this Wednesday! Celebrate a full year of hard work, welcome new members, and cheers to a new year. Join us at the Wing Luke Museum beginning at 5:30 pm.

  • A new county-wide effort on homelessness and housing affordability called One Table launched last week Taking a seat: Executive Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, Rep. Nicole Macri, and many, many more. 

  • The housing market hasn’t been kind to renters, who are giving up a greater share of their income than they used to, and nearly double what homeowners do. That says a lot, because have you see home prices these days? Yikes.

  • Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s first executive order speeds up rent & utility assistance for households with low incomes.

  • Here’s a sign of the times: “Newly elected council member moved out of Issaquah, gave up seat due to affordable housing.” Incidentally, any Issaquah affordable housing advocates want to take up the charge?

  • Population growth in King County continues to outpace housing production, and the same is true for Pierce and Snohomish.

  • Seattle: Ask not what your Design Review Board can do for you, ask what you can do for your Design Review Board. Bring your knowledge to the table and apply by December 15th.

  • Many thanks to everyone who supported HDC or one of our member organizations for #GivingTuesday. This was our most successful #GivingTuesday yet, and we want you to know how much your support means to us. Thank you. 

What did we miss? Email us with suggestions.
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