City of Seattle Provides $2.1 Million to Rainier Beach Action Coalition to Purchase Land for Food Innovation Center

July 10, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

This investment is the latest step in a broader City effort to invest in BIPOC Communities

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced that the City will provide $2.1 million to buy land for the future home of the Food Innovation Center in Rainier Beach, a project of the not-for-profit community organization Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC). Funding was made available through Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI).

RBAC is a Black-led community organization that is actively seeking to address racialized economic disparity in a neighborhood where communities of color experience a high risk of residential and cultural displacement. With this funding, RBAC will proceed with closing on a site adjacent to the Rainier Beach light rail station.

“The best ideas come from community, and Rainier Beach Action Coalition is leading on bringing this much-needed and valuable resource to the community to address food insecurity,” said Mayor Durkan. “Rainier Beach for far too long has had to endure the negative impact of the displacement of families and businesses. Making these types of investments are critical to creating a just City with true opportunity for all of Seattle’s residents.”

RBAC’s Food Innovation Center is intended to create jobs and build on the many food cultures of Rainier Beach. The Center will support economic opportunity through new small food businesses, as well as education and workforce development for Seattle residents. The concept includes classrooms and teaching kitchens, an entrepreneurship center, a marketplace, food production facility, and community services. Plans for the site also include critically needed affordable housing.

“We’re excited that the City is taking this important step to the implementation of the Rainier Beach Neighborhood Plan and the long-standing (10 years) community vision for the Rainier Beach Food Innovation District. Securing the site for the Food Innovation Center will be a launching pad for so many communities in Rainier Beach to build on their unique food cultures and bring economic growth to the neighborhood,” Gregory Davis, RBAC Managing Strategist. “Investing in community-based organizations to secure ownership of land is critically important for mitigating the impact displacement has on disproportionally impacted BIPOC communities, this is building on the local cultural assets, and setting a new community control of land and development model.”

EDI funding for RBAC was allocated from the sale of the underutilized City-owned Mercer Street properties that was finalized in 2019. This year, approximately $15 million will be used to further support community-based organizations that are led by and serve people of color in the purchase property or to build new community assets.

The Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) was established in 2016 to provide investments in neighborhoods that support those most impacted by displacement and low access to opportunity. The program’s objectives include the advancement of economic opportunity and wealth-building strategies, preventing displacement, and building on local cultural assets. EDI is coordinated by the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) and guided by an external community advisory board representing impacted communities.

“We’re pleased that these Mercer St. revenues will be reinvested in ownership of land by a Black-run community organization,” said Sam Assefa, director of OPCD. “Not only are we hoping to support new small businesses in Rainier Beach, we’re celebrating the many food cultures of the neighborhood and preventing the displacement of cultural communities that call Rainier Beach home, including many immigrants.”

EDI provides grants to organizations for site acquisition, capacity building and other capital needs, and provides technical assistance to community-based organizations. To date, EDI has invested $25.5 million in 25 projects through an annual competitive grant process with some projects having received multiple rounds of funding, including:

City of Seattle Will Transfer Fire Station 6 to Community

June 12, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

We at the City of Seattle understand the urgency behind making bold investments in the Black community and increasing community ownership of land in the Central District.

The City believes in the vision behind the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation and we remain committed to making the transfer of Fire Station 6 to the community a reality.

We have received Africatown’s list of community requests along with a longer list of asks from other black-led organizations. Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan has already met with the King County Equity Now coalition and on behalf of Mayor Durkan, she will be working with Department of Neighborhoods and Office of Planning and Community Development to work on next steps with the community.

*Fire Station No. 6, 101 23rd Avenue South*. (Photo: Joe Mabel)

Feedback Needed on Light Rail Expansion

May 20, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

Census 2020 Information – Shape Your Future Today

March 19, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

It has never been easier to respond to the Census on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail—all without having to personally interact with a census taker.

Check your mail! From March 12-20, households will receive the first of several invitations to participate in the 2020 Census. This invitation will include a Unique ID code that can be used to complete the Census online.

Go online today and fill out your Census: www.my2020census.gov.

Individuals with questions can access a hotline 7 days a week between 4am and 11pm PT. Before being directed to a live person, you will be prompted to enter your “Census ID”. Those without an ID should press # to proceed. As a reminder, the telephone numbers are:

English	844-330-2020
Spanish	844-468-2020
Chinese (Mandarin)	844-391-2020
Chinese (Cantonese)	844-398-2020
Vietnamese	844-461-2020
Korean	844-392-2020
Russian	844-417-2020
Arabic	844-416-2020
Tagalog	844-478-2020
Polish	844-479-2020
French	844-494-2020
Haitian Creole	844-477-2020
Portuguese	844-474-2020
Japanese	844-460-2020
Telephone Display Device (TDD)	844-467-2020

Below is an update on how the City is shifting our Census outreach in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that all populations get counted:

To prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in our communities, libraries and community centers are closed until at least April 13, pending further public health guidance. This means that community members will not be able to access in-person Census assistance or computer services at those locations until at least April 13.
The City is working with our community partners and community-based organizations to shift their resources from in-person engagement to phone banking, texting, social media engagement, and targeted mailers.
- The City’s Community Liaisons are providing technical assistance to community-based organizations around remote phone banking/texting drives, and social media.
- Watch and share this Spanish-language video.
The City is working to get updated information from the U.S. Census Bureau regarding Census outreach in group quarters (i.e. shelters, nursing homes, unmanaged encampments, etc.).
The City will continue to amplify information on the Seattle Census website, via direct email outreach, and through the City’s social media channels.

Currently, the planned completion date for data collection for the 2020 Census is July 31, 2020. The City is coordinating with other local governments across the region, and country, to request that the Census Bureau adjust that deadline given the COVID-19 outbreak.

Have questions about this year’s Census? There are several ways that you can contact the U.S. Census Bureau for support. https://2020census.gov/en/contact-us.html

Want to know how you can respond to the 2020 Census? By mid-March, every home will receive an invitation to participate. You will have three options for responding: online, by phone, or by mail. Learn more at: https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond.html

Wondering what questions you’ll be asked in the 2020 Census? See the questions, get tips for responding, and learn how the Census Bureau will use your answers. https://2020census.gov/en/about-questions.html

Mayor Durkan Announces New Efforts to Prepare for 2020 Census

February 18, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

City of Seattle to Launch Census Assistance Centers

As part of her 2020 State of the City address, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced the City’s new actions to prepare for the 2020 United States Census. The City will open a series of Census Assistance Centers and launch other focused education efforts to help ensure all Seattle communities can know their rights and be counted. By mid-March, every household in Seattle will receive a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau, inviting them to fill out their Census form online. With the president trying to undermine the Census at every turn, and with this being the first-ever online Census, the City is working to break down barriers that could prevent historically undercounted communities from completing their Census forms.

The U.S. Census only happens once every 10 years, and the consequences of having an incomplete count are not just statistical: Residents’ lives could be significantly impacted for an entire decade. A complete Census count would ensure Seattle receives its fair share of federal resources, as significant funding is at stake for other federal programs that Seattle families and communities rely on, including Head Start, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicare and Medicaid.

“As one of the fastest-growing cities in America, there’s a lot at stake for Seattle in this next Census. We know that everyone counts, and everyone needs to be counted, which is why we’re working to ensure our residents have the resources and information they need to participate in the 2020 Census,” said Mayor Durkan. “From fear surrounding the failed ‘citizenship question,’ to this being the first-ever online Census, there are significant barriers to a complete 2020 Census count. But our Census Assistance Centers, coupled with the efforts of our community partners, will help people participate in the Census, and ensure Seattle receives our fair share of federal resources.”

The City of Seattle is deploying four key strategies to ensure a complete, safe Census count:

City staff at all Seattle Public Library (SPL) branches and all Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers will be prepared to answer questions about the 2020 Census;
Starting March 12, every Seattle Public Library branch will have computers available for communities to fill out their Census form, regardless of whether they have library cards;
On April 1, the Seattle Public Library will host Census Assistance Centers at the Lake City, Rainier Beach and Ballard branches; and
On April 15, community centers at Alki, Delridge, Garfield, High Point, Jefferson, Rainier, South Park, and Yesler will host Census Assistance Centers.

“Seattle is committed to using its resources and supporting community organizations and networks to ensure a full, fair, accurate, and informed census count,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide). “Through Census Assistance Centers, the City is changing the way it engages with our communities, and having conversations with our residents where they live, work, and rest. Full participation in the 2020 Census will ensure adequate funding for our City, and bring needed resources back to our historically undercounted communities. But the Census isn’t just about funding, it’s also about having a voice, being counted, and local resistance to this administration’s harmful policies.”

At Census Assistance Centers, community members can receive technical assistance when filling out their online Census form, get their questions answered about how Census information is used, and learn more about why the Census is important. A full list of Census Assistance Center times and locations is available at www.seattlecensus.org.

“As Seattle’s immigrant and refugee population continues to grow, it’s important that we are prepared for a fair and accurate 2020 Census count. The federal funding we receive as a result of the Census is critical to supporting the success and wellbeing of the communities that make up the fabric of our great city. I’m glad to see the City of Seattle open these assistance centers, which will help our communities, especially immigrant and refugee communities, get counted in the 2020 Census,” said Mahnaz Eshetu, Executive Director of ReWA.

“So many of our necessary community resources are determined by the Census, whether that be transportation, food access, health care or education. If we are not all counted, we will be competing for crumbs to support our families and communities,” said Michelle Merriweather, President and CEO at Urban league of Metropolitan Seattle. “There is also an impact on political representation. Who we vote for depends on legislative districts, which move every 10 years depending on how many people are counted. Our representation in Washington, D.C. is solely determined by the Census. If we want fair and equitable representation, we need to be counted.”

In addition to the Census Assistance Centers, every single staff member at The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers will be trained to answer questions related to Census 2020 and help communities complete their forms. And, starting March 12, every SPL branch in Seattle will have computers reserved exclusively for residents to fill out their Census questionnaire. Any community member can use these Census-reserved computers, regardless of whether they have an SPL card.

“Seattle Department of Neighborhoods works every day to elevate community voices, and the 2020 Census is only of the most significant issues for Seattle communities,” said Andrés Mantilla, Director of the Department of Neighborhoods. “We are closely working with community-based organizations along with our ethnic media to ensure we are engaging all communities across Seattle and making it easier for them to participate in the Census.

Throughout 2019, the City of Seattle partnered with community-based organizations to lay the groundwork for a complete and safe Census count. The Mayor regularly convened her Seattle Census Task Force to advise on pressing Census issues, including lack of federal funding, the citizenship question, and continued anti-immigrant policies being pursued by the president. The City was also a significant contributor to the Regional Census Fund, which allocated millions of dollars to community-based organizations throughout King County working to get a complete Census count. Finally, the City issued its first-ever Ethnic and Minority Media Fund to grant a total of $150,000 to local ethnic media so they could raise awareness about the importance of the Census.

The City of Seattle’s fight for a fair, safe and complete Census count is part of our work as a Welcoming City. For more information on our Welcoming City policies, please visit this website: www.seattle.gov/welcoming.

New Commissioners Sought for Planning Commission

February 3, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

The Seattle Planning Commission advises the Mayor, City Council, and City departments on citywide planning goals, policies, and plans and provide them with independent advice on land use, zoning, transportation and housing issues.

The Commission is also the steward of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, the citywide vision for how Seattle grows. You can view our recent reports and other work on the Commission’s website.

Who are the Planning Commissioners?
The Commissioners are a 16 member Commission of neighbors that care about the future of our city. Commissioners have a broad range of skills and perspectives that include land use and transportation planning, community organizing, architecture and design, public health, low-income housing development, and community engagement. Commissioners are volunteers, serving without compensation for up to two terms of three years per term.

The Planning Commission is looking for diverse voices that bring to light issues facing all parts of the city and who can share professional and lived experience from across Seattle’s various communities. We are looking for applicants who:

bring a commitment to making Seattle a great place to live and have interest in, knowledge of, or professional experience in land use, zoning, or other aspects of planning
have a strong understanding of racial equity, and the impacts of racialized policies and practices in the field of planning
have a commitment to community-building and community engagement
understand transportation investments and how they impact the neighborhoods around them
can speak to the needs of affordable housing and/or understand what role affordability plays in the city
have a passion for communicating planning topics to a diverse audience

Applicants must be current resident of Seattle and be able to attend three Commission meetings per month, with occasional community meetings as needed.

How to Apply:
To be considered for appointment to the Commission, please send a letter of interest and resume by post or e-mail by February 28, 2020 addressed to:

Vanessa Murdock, Executive Director
Seattle Planning Commission
PO Box 94788
Seattle WA 98124-7088
Vanessa.Murdock@seattle.gov

Please consider including any voluntary personal information regarding your cultural background, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability that might assist us in meeting the City’s goal to create diverse boards and commissions.

If you have questions, or would like to speak to current Commissioners about their role, please contact Vanessa Murdock, Executive Director at (206) 733-9271 or e-mail Vanessa.Murdock@seattle.gov.

For more information about the Seattle Planning Commission please visit http://www.seattle.gov/planningcommission.

The Commission will also host an open house event on February 13 if you’d like to speak with staff and current Commissioners.

Mayor Durkan’s Affordable Middle-Income Housing Advisory Council Delivers Recommendations to Increase Housing Options throughout Seattle

January 22, 2020 by Seattle OPCD

Three High-Impact Recommendations Identified to Promote Affordable Housing Choices for Workers Who Comprise the Majority of the City’s Workforce but Mostly Live Outside of City Limits

Weeks after announcing a record $110 million City of Seattle investment in low-income affordable housing development, Mayor Durkan’s Affordable Middle-Income Housing Advisory Council, delivered a suite of strategies that together, government, the private sector and community organizations can act on to increase housing options available to middle-income families and individuals.

The new approaches, which will be considered by Mayor Durkan over the coming months, are suggested tools to help create more opportunities for homeownership, bring more housing online faster, and increase housing options in neighborhoods throughout the City. Too many of Seattle’s working families, including those who serve in our schools and hospitals, in our restaurants, as maintenance staff, and thousands who keep our small businesses running, struggle to find a place to live in our city that they can afford.

“Seattle has become too expensive for most working families. We need more affordable housing if we want to remain a just, welcoming, and equitable city,” said Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “We have a huge need and must take a range of actions to create more affordable housing. Without real solutions our communities experience negative climate impacts and increased traffic congestion as workers are forced to commute longer and longer distances while missing out on valuable family time. I’m incredibly thankful to the entire council, who met over the past year to explore new tools and find real solutions for Seattle’s working families.”

Mayor Durkan convened the City’s first-ever Affordable Middle-Income Housing Advisory Council, comprised of experts from the housing development, labor, financing and legal community, in January 2019 to explore ways to fill the gap between market-rate housing and the housing needs of middle-income families. This week, the Advisory Council delivered a report containing nearly 40 recommendations, elevating three high-impact actions:

Reduce costs of building housing by promoting partnerships with private sector investors and philanthropic dollars for innovative real estate financing. Many of our region’s employers are already committed to solving this problem to ensure the future of their workforce. The City should work with private and philanthropic partners to galvanize efforts, and to create innovative measures to address the housing challenges of middle-income workers.
Advocating to the State to extend the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program beyond 12 years of affordability. MFTE is one of the City’s few tools to create low- and middle-income housing, with over 5,000 homes in market-rate buildings and another 1,600 in the pipeline to come online by 2022. Without action by the State legislature, nearly 1,200 of these units will revert to market-rate housing in the next five years.
Reduce construction costs and bring new homes online as quickly as possible by reforming permitting practices. The City should commit to addressing permitting chokepoints and reducing conflicting direction from departments given to developers that drives up housing costs.

“The Advisory Council remains committed to help with this effort. While our formal work ends with these recommendations, we will assist the City in its implementation by supporting necessary engagement and legislation for City actions to propel the work forward,” said Ezra Teshome, co-chair.

“Many of these actions fall squarely within the City’s control. The City can streamline its permitting process and address regulatory barriers with the goal of creating more affordable and market-rate housing,” said Washington State Labor Council President and Advisory Council co-chair, Larry Brown

Mayor Durkan recognizes that a surge of investments is needed to address the needs of middle-income employees who earn 60 to 120 percent Area Median Income (AMI), individuals with incomes between $46,500 and $93,000 and families of four between $66,400 and $132,850 – parallel to continued City investments towards very low- and low-income communities. Between 2011 and 2018, Seattle rents increased 57 percent, the sales price of a detached house increased 65 percent, and the sales price of a condominium increased 48 percent, driving working families out of the City. Employees in low- and middle-income occupations comprise 85 percent of Seattle’s workforce: more than 560,000 Seattle jobs are in occupations that pay less than $100,000 per year on average.

“For many years, the City’s response to the broader housing affordability crisis has appropriately prioritized housing for low-income households and support for our neighbors experiencing homelessness,” said Advisory Council Co-chair and former Washington State Governor, Gary Locke. “Our work seeks to advance a third and critical objective, which is to support strategies that address the growing housing affordability needs for Seattle’s middle-income workforce.”

In 1981, Seattle voters instituted the Seattle Housing Levy, making annual investments to provide affordable housing for residents who are homeless and low-income. Last month, Mayor Durkan announced a record $110 million in City funding, leveraged to more than $710 million with investments from regional and federal partners for new low-income affordable homes. Since December 2017, the City has leveraged nearly $1.5 billion in funding through the Housing Levy, Incentive Zoning and Mandatory Housing Affordability, and Real Estate Excise Tax to generate housing for individuals and families at or below 60 percent AMI.

“The Advisory Council applied our collective expertise in housing development and investment to elevate strategies to help close the growing gap between housing produced and what middle-income families can afford,” said Ada Healey, Vulcan Real Estate and Advisory Council Co-chair

The Office of Planning and Community Development issued their Housing Choices Public Engagement Summary which includes survey results of housing needs sought by individuals who live and work in Seattle. Housing Choices was a benchmark used to help inform the Advisory Council in their pursuit for meaningful solutions.

City Seeks Designs for Backyard Cottages to be Pre-approved for Permits

December 19, 2019 by Seattle OPCD

To help more residents own and rent detached accessory dwelling units (DADUs), the City is seeking submissions from architects, designers, and builders for plans that will be pre-approved for construction permits.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan directed City staff to select plans for pre-approval to make the process to design and permit DADUs — often called backyard cottages — faster, easier, cheaper, and more predictable. Homeowners choosing a pre-approved plan will pay reduced permit fees and get their permit faster — in 2-6 weeks rather than several months for sites that do not involve protected trees or environmentally critical areas.

Architects and designers interested in submitting a plan should review the design criteria and requirements outlined in our new Pre-approved DADU Submission Guide. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) and Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) gathered input through a public survey and stakeholder conversations to inform the design criteria.

Designers and builders must submit DADU designs by February 17, 2020, that fulfill the criteria and follow the submission requirements outlined in our Submission Guide. A selection committee will review submissions and identify 6-10 plans that SDCI permitting staff will pre-approve for compliance with certain structural codes.

Pre-approved plans will be displayed in an online gallery with images, description, and information about the designer. Homeowners can browse the gallery, choose a design, and connect with its designer to proceed with the necessary steps to permit the DADU on their site. Builders must still acquire permits and inspections related to zoning, site preparation, utility connections, and other site-specific requirements.

Considering submitting a design? The City will hold an information session on January 14, 2020, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 4050 of the Seattle Municipal Tower (700 5th Ave) where architects, designers, and builders can ask questions about the selection process, the design criteria, or how homeowners will use plans selected for pre-approval. All questions and answers from the session will be documented in writing and posted publicly online.

For other questions or to be added to our project email list, contact DADUplans@seattle.gov.

City Life at Street Level

December 9, 2019 by Seattle OPCD

Download the City Life at Street Level report.

Active street life — both day and night — is a defining feature of great cities. In City Life at Street Level, the City of Seattle describes and illustrates successful strategies that architects and designers have used to create sidewalk environments that support vibrant, safe and attractive street life.

As Seattle continues to grow and develop, it’s important to learn from what we have done well, and what we could do better, to create storefronts and pedestrian environments that provide great places to meet, interact, and pause. Successful design at the street level can improve livability, economic vitality, neighborhood character, and public safety.

Think of the last time you walked around Seattle and what made it memorable. Which streets did you choose to walk? What restaurants, shops, or art spaces drew you in from the sidewalk? Where and why did you choose to stop?

This year, urban designers at Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development researched street level frontages in Downtown neighborhoods to better understand which design qualities encourage public interaction and vibrant small businesses. They identified positive streetscape qualities that are universal no matter the scale of the building or storefront use: clear glass, welcoming entrances, canopies, lighting, outdoor seating, and detailing for pedestrian scale. Other qualities are more dependent on the activities inside and how they engage with the sidewalk.

Many people and processes impact good street level design. The City hopes this document will be a resource and guide for everyone—building owners and tenants, architects and designers, general public and agencies— for our collective work in shaping a city we all love.

Census Ethnic and Minority Media Funding Opportunity

December 3, 2019 by Seattle OPCD

As part of the City of Seattle’s plan for the 2020 Census, we recognize the critical role that ethnic media organizations play in engaging historically undercounted communities. Based on this fact and through community feedback, the City of Seattle will make grants available to these organizations to promote and publicize the 2020 Census. A total of $150,000 will be available with funds awarded up to $20,000.

Download the Request for Proposals (RFP) which outlines the criteria, eligibility, and timeline to apply for the grants. To learn more about this funding opportunity, there will be two informational Call-in sessions on Friday, December 6:

Call 1: Friday, December 6, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Dial: (206) 386-1200, 6370899#

Conference ID: 6370899

Call 2: Friday, December 6, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Dial: (206) 386-1200, 703483#

Conference ID: 703483

The deadline for submission is Monday, December 16. Applicants will be notified the first week of January.

If you have questions about the RFP or need technical assistance or in language, please contact Sunny Ysa at sunny.ysa@seattle.gov .

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