Fremont Neighborhood Council has not taken an official FNC position on HALA or Seattle 2035, but FNC does want all residents in Fremont to be aware of what is happening on that front.

UPDATE ON STORY BELOW–here is a link to the PLUZ Committee action. In brief, “The Council’s Planning, Land Use & Zoning committee unanimously (5-0) approved framework legislation today that would require that residential developers provide for affordable housing by either including it in their development or paying into a fund used to support the development of affordable housing in Seattle. The requirement will apply after Council adopts future zoning changes, scheduled for Council consideration at the end of 2016/early 2017.”

Now, a City Council vote coming up Aug. 2 is receiving a lot of attention. See this press release today, for example:

“Press Release * August 1, 2016  …Housing advocates from across the city send letter strongly urging Seattle City Council to approve Councilmember Herbolds Anti-Displacement Amendments to Mayor’s Grand Bargain! – Vote tomorrow 930AM Seattle City Council Chambers 5th and Cherry Downtown

“Affordable housing advocates say Herbold’s amendments are needed to prevent gentrification of Seattle and displacement of thousands of low income people, and people of color from their communities as a direct result of “Grand Bargain” upzoning. For more information contact David Bloom (206-941-8062), or any of letter’s signatories

“This afternoon, leaders and former leaders of housing and homeless organizations from across the city forwarded a letter giving their strong support to Councilmember Herbold’s amendment to the HALA “Grand Bargain’s” mandatory housing framework policies to ensure that developers replace housing they’ll remove as a direct result of upzones accompanying the Mayor’s Grand Bargain.  A vote will be taken in the City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee tomorrow morning (930AM) in the Seattle City Council Chambers.

“Their full text of the letter can be found on the Displacement Coalitions “outsidecityhall.wordpress.com” website.  Among the letters 19 signatories, they include current and former Directors of the Tenants Union Liz Etta and Jon Grant respectively, director Real Change Tim Harris, Church Council Director Michael Ramos and former Director Alice Woldt, Yusuf Abdi former SHA boardmember, Bill Kirlin-Hackett Director of the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness, John V. Fox Seattle Displacement Coalition, and former Director of Seattle’s Dept of Community Development Darel Grothaus.

“While calling on City Councilmembers to support Herbold’s amendments, the letter highlights current record levels of new construction and record levels of displacement accompanying that growth due to demolition, speculative sale and rent increases and responds to developers alleging displacement is a myth.  Housing Advocates warn that without Herbold’s amendments, ‘we’ll continue to lose many more low cost units than we ever can build with our subsidy programs even factoring in passage of a new housing levy and imposition of the modest HALA mandatory housing requirement now being considered.  Homelessness and our housing shortage will only continue to spiral upward.’

“The full text of letter and all signatories can be found here: https://outsidecityhall.wordpress.com/

~ End of Press Release ~