Seattle Nice

Two Social Housing Measures Enter. One Measure Leaves.

David Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik Season 3 Episode 32

This week Seattle's city council voted to send two competing measures to the ballot to fund affordable housing. 

Initiative 137, the measure social housing activists support, proposes a new, "excess compensation tax" on big business. Council member Maritza Rivera is backing a new, "alternative" measure that would rely instead on existing JumpStart taxes on big business.

Erica says Rivera's alternative would raid the JumpStart tax and effectively kill the social housing concept voters approved last year. See Erica's reporting on the two measures here.

Sandeep defends the alternative, saying he's skeptical social housing backers actually know how to build or manage housing. He suggests the more modest $50 million dollar alternative proposal would give them a chance to prove themselves before potentially getting more funding.   

The pod also briefly debates a proposed increase in police hiring bonuses.

Thanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.com

Our editor is Quinn Waller

Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.com

Support the show

Your support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.

Blue City Blues Artwork

Blue City Blues

David Hyde, Sandeep Kaushik
The Ezra Klein Show Artwork

The Ezra Klein Show

New York Times Opinion
The Daily Artwork

The Daily

The New York Times