The opening of Blake House marks the city’s first high-rise affordable housing project in half a century.
Two new affordable housing communities, Blake House and The Rise on Madison, are opening in Seattle this spring, adding more than 350 new units to the city’s housing stock, reports Marc Stiles explains in the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Apartments at Blake House, developed by Plymouth Housing, are reserved for 55-and-ver veterans making less than 30 percent of area median income (AMI), and will include on-site health services. “Plymouth's partner on the $150 million tower — Seattle's first affordable high-rise development by a nonprofit in 50 years — is Bellwether Housing, Seattle's largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing and the operator of the 250-unit Rise on Madison.”
Units in The Rise will be available to residents making 50 to 60 percent of AMI, with rents ranging from $1,600 to $1,900. According to Stiles, “Various factors allowed the building to pencil, from the nonprofits contributing equity and Sound Transit donating the development site to the building not having costly parking, plus efficiencies derived from having one set of building systems for two projects.”
FULL STORY: Seattle's first new low-income high-rise in decades opens on First Hill
Seattle Legalizes Co-Living
A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.
Seattle Could End Restrictions on Co-Living
Current regulations prohibit ‘congregate housing’ in many parts of the city.
Seattle Passes New Housing Levy
The measure will bring roughly $1 billion to the city’s affordable housing efforts.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research