This editorial, published in the Seattle Times, was written by Ryan Donohue, Chief Advocacy Officer at Habitat SKKC.
The Sept. 8 op-ed, “Here’s how WA could allow more affordable housing to be built,” makes important points about streamlining permitting and removing barriers to middle housing construction. As someone who has worked in affordable housing development for over a decade, I share the urgency about our housing crisis and agree that we need “equal parts courage, brains and heart” to solve it.
However, I respectfully disagree with the characterization of Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program as simply a “construction tax” that reduces housing production. The reality is more nuanced, and the solution requires us to think systemically about how we create housing for everyone, not just those who can afford market-rate homes.
The Master Builders Association report cited in the op-ed focuses narrowly on town home permits while missing critical context. A comprehensive analysis by BERK Consulting, commissioned by the city of Seattle, found that MHA is not the primary driver of declining town home construction. Instead, the report identified broader market factors, including rising construction costs, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and changing interest rates, as the main culprits behind reduced housing production across the region.
Read the full piece in The Seattle Times to explore his perspective on our region’s housing challenges.