Sage Leaders cultivates deep democracy in Washington state by developing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community leaders for civic and elected leadership. Our long-term goal is to build governments reflective of our communities, with the power to influence, lead, and govern within a Just Transition framework.
Depending on where you live, you may have the following city races on your ballot.
Both propositions are designed to fund social housing, which Seattle residents endorsed through Initiative 135 in 2023.
The term “social housing” includes several models that aim to create permanently affordable housing and greater resident control. Under I-135, rent for lower-income residents would be offset by a mix of income levels, all housing would also meet green building standards, and rent would cost less than 30 percent of a household’s income. The initiative established a public developer to create publicly-owned social housing, required the city to provide staff and office space for the first 18 months, and created a feasibility study on housing needs and land sales. For legal reasons, I-135 did not include a source of funding to build housing.
Proposition 1A proposes a new tax, paid by employers doing business in Seattle, that would fund the public development authority to build social housing throughout the city. This tax – 5% on annual compensation above $1 million paid to any employee – would raise an estimated $53 million per year for social housing. The initiative was brought forward by the same community organizers who generated the 2023 initiative passed by voters to establish the Social Housing Developer authority.
1A offers Seattle residents a chance to make a significant investment in social housing, which addresses the affordability crisis by creating publicly owned housing that's accessible to people with a somewhat wider range of income levels. Other approaches are more focused on people with extremely limited resources. The goal is to support housing for teachers, nurses, or social service workers as well as very low-income residents, and to use income from relatively higher-income residents to help offset the lower costs for lower-income residents.
Proposition 1B represents a different approach proposed by the conservative-leaning majority on the Seattle City Council. If approved, this measure would redirect $10 million from the existing payroll tax to the public development authority’s affordable housing initiatives. The measure includes some restrictions on the development authority’s use of the funds, including requiring the authority to hire certain leadership staff to manage the projects and that the authority may not create housing for people who earn more than 80% of the average development area’s income.
The magnitude of our housing shortage requires solutions beyond moving public funding from one pot to another. If we want a strong community, vibrant economy, and thriving city, we must be willing to make real investments in affordable housing. Proposition 1B is too small to make an impact on the problem.
On this unique ballot measure, we recommend voting Yes on question 1 and then voting for Proposition 1A to build more affordable housing in Seattle.
Both propositions are designed to fund social housing, which Seattle residents endorsed through Initiative 135 in 2023.
The term “social housing” includes several models that aim to create permanently affordable housing and greater resident control. Under I-135, rent for lower-income residents would be offset by a mix of income levels, all housing would also meet green building standards, and rent would cost less than 30 percent of a household’s income. The initiative established a public developer to create publicly-owned social housing, required the city to provide staff and office space for the first 18 months, and created a feasibility study on housing needs and land sales. For legal reasons, I-135 did not include a source of funding to build housing.
Proposition 1A proposes a new tax, paid by employers doing business in Seattle, that would fund the public development authority to build social housing throughout the city. This tax – 5% on annual compensation above $1 million paid to any employee – would raise an estimated $53 million per year for social housing. The initiative was brought forward by the same community organizers who generated the 2023 initiative passed by voters to establish the Social Housing Developer authority.
1A offers Seattle residents a chance to make a significant investment in social housing, which addresses the affordability crisis by creating publicly owned housing that's accessible to people with a somewhat wider range of income levels. Other approaches are more focused on people with extremely limited resources. The goal is to support housing for teachers, nurses, or social service workers as well as very low-income residents, and to use income from relatively higher-income residents to help offset the lower costs for lower-income residents.
Proposition 1B represents a different approach proposed by the conservative-leaning majority on the Seattle City Council. If approved, this measure would redirect $10 million from the existing payroll tax to the public development authority’s affordable housing initiatives. The measure includes some restrictions on the development authority’s use of the funds, including requiring the authority to hire certain leadership staff to manage the projects and that the authority may not create housing for people who earn more than 80% of the average development area’s income.
The magnitude of our housing shortage requires solutions beyond moving public funding from one pot to another. If we want a strong community, vibrant economy, and thriving city, we must be willing to make real investments in affordable housing. Proposition 1B is too small to make an impact on the problem.
On this unique ballot measure, we recommend voting Yes on question 1 and then voting for Proposition 1A to build more affordable housing in Seattle.