Speaker 4: And item 27 Council Bill 120058 relating to the Office of Housing, authorizing the acceptance of a transfer of real property in southeast Seattle. The committee recommends the bill pass.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Customers, get back to you to provide us this committee report.
Speaker 4: Thank you very much. Council president, colleagues. Again, this is the item that came from the Housing and Finance Committee that came to us from the Office of Housing to accept the land transfer from sound transit to Office of Housing for the purpose of developing for purchase affordable homes. There are three main points that I'd like to really highlight as you consider this legislation today. The first is that the city is accepting this land at no cost. This is possible through our commitment to the land disposition policies that we have seen really featured in Sound Transit First and then what I replicated as well in our land disposition policies passed in 2018. This is our city's commitment to making sure that if we have surplus or underused land, especially when starting with sound transit, that we make sure that this property is available for the highest and best public use. And right now that's housing. The second thing to consider is that this land is located in the South End near three light rail stations Mount Baker, Columbia City and Othello Station, and is a response to the community's ongoing demand for more affordable housing located in these existing communities that have seen a tremendous amount of displacement and a skyrocketing cost of housing over the years. Again, with the need to make sure that we address housing is not just building more affordable units, but it's also creating opportunities for people to have home ownership opportunities, which this ordinance allows. And the final thing is that this focus, as I just mentioned, is on creating a for purchase housing. This land provides accessible home ownership opportunities for Seattle residents, creating a path out of generational poverty and allowing folks to create greater equity in their pocket. This is also a commitment to our equity principles for more people to be able to have a place to call home that they can own, which allows for folks to build build wealth in their own community. The last point, I think, is extremely important as we recognize a disproportionate amount of wealth in whiter households in Seattle compared to black and brown households, which can be traced directly back to our exclusionary policies of redlining that prevent many bipoc communities from being able to purchase their homes in the city of Seattle. And this is not only part of our past, but it's still the living policy of our city. So we're really trying to provide more opportunities now for folks to be able to continue to afford to live in the city. According to a report released by Prosperity Now, the pre-COVID median wealth for white residents in Seattle was three times higher than that of Native American households. Black residents were three times more likely to be unemployed than white residents. And this all compounds to fewer opportunities to allow for folks to be able to own homes in this city. This project, this opportunity is one way that the city can begin to address the past and begin to help close the wage gap. As we look for many opportunities for future affordable housing options and home ownership options to ensure that more bipoc communities can continue to live and thrive in our Seattle for general, in Seattle for generations to come. We'll continue to do more work to close this gap, and I look forward to more funding opportunities in housing and an equitable development, and especially using our Jumpstart Seattle dollars, about two thirds of those dollars going into housing and home opportunities, especially making sure that those who don't have opportunities have a place to call home and appropriate shelter. And this is an indication of our ongoing commitment to the need for creating more affordable and accessible housing and addressing the disparities that we see in our city. So looking forward to this legislation being passed today. Thank you very much.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Councilmember Mesquita, any other comments on the bill? Councilmember Morales, please.
Speaker 1: Thank you. I just want to share that. I am very excited about this legislation. This is an opportunity to create more permanently affordable home ownership, not just rental units, but home ownership opportunities, particularly in the South End. And that means that these homes will be affordable not just for the first home buyer, but for the subsequent homebuyers to the original homebuyer will get a reasonable rate of return when they sell. But the price is still allowing the next owner to also participate and enjoy the benefits of home ownership. So I think this is a really important opportunity. I do want to also note that there's been an a really important community engagement process for years to make sure that this happens. I want to thank Puget Sound Sage for advocating and helping pass the legislation that required South Transit to offer 80% of their surplus property to organizations that are doing affordable housing to low income folks . And this is really a chance for those of us in the South End to move past the numerous fenced off lots that have lined the light rail stations for the last ten years. I'm really excited to see that, you know, the the fenced off lots along the way are starting to be to be used and that this in particular will be used for for homeownership opportunities. So I just want to say thank you again for sponsoring this, leading this Councilmember Mosqueda. And I do want to also thank director Alvarado and Ericka malone for working so hard on this. I'm really looking forward to more.
Speaker 2: Homeownership opportunities.
Speaker 1: In the South End. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Councilman Morales couldn't agree with you more. It's important for us to do sort of the both. And obviously, we all want to continue to support affordable pathways to do those units in our community that are only subject to rent. We know that over 50% of the people in the city rent. And I think the last time I looked, about 30% of those renters are bipoc folks. So but obviously the most important, critical thing that we can do to ensure that we are that we are actually making a meaningful difference in terms of closing the wealth gap in income inequality is to allow people opportunities to have affordable homeownership. So really excited about this bill. Sorry that I wasn't in committee to vote it out of committee, but I am really excited about being able to support this particular council bill and thanks to everyone for playing a really important role in getting in front of us . Councilmember Mosquito, would you like to have a last word?
Speaker 4: Thank you very much. Just echoing the appreciation for folks who have for a long time focused on sound transit and the city of Seattle land disposition policies. The 80, 80, 80 principle is something that we replicated in the land disposition policies that the city passed and with the things that folks like Puget Sound, Sage, Africa Town and so many others who were at the table wanting to make sure that that type of principle expanded to other local jurisdictions. This is one of many efforts that we hope to highlight in the future. I want to thank after Houston for his work also on this legislation. In addition to Director Alvarado, as Councilman Morales accurately pointed out, he's really been spearheading this within the Office of Housing and to her team for their continued commitment to making sure that there's more opportunities like this. Obviously, much more work to come. And we'll continue to follow up to make sure that it's not just affordable housing opportunities that we're creating for renters and first time buyers, but that we're creating that pipeline so that people have that next place to buy. So there really is a place to move into as people acquire additional equity and the next generation or the next folks get a chance to move into these homes as well. It requires us to continue building, building, building. So thanks so much for your continued support on this for the comments today.
Speaker 0: Wonderful. Thank you so much. I don't see any other comments or folks with their hands up. So will the clerk please call the role on the passage of the bill?
Speaker 1: ROSQUETA.
Speaker 0: Hi.
Speaker 1: Peterson. I want. Yes. Strauss.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 1: Lewis.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 1: Whereas I. MORALES Yes. Council President Gonzalez, I Ididn't favor none of those.
Speaker 0: No passes, and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf? Well, the clerk please read the short title of item 27 into the record.
AN ORDINANCE relating to the Office of Housing (OH); authorizing the acceptance of a transfer of real property in Southeast Seattle for the purpose of development of affordable housing and other related uses, and for general municipal purposes; placing the property under the jurisdiction of OH; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.