April 6, 2006

Director's Corner

By TIM HARRIS

This week, Real Change once again proved that grassroots activism works. On April 3rd, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a zoning package that nearly doubled the amount of money that proposed downtown development will raise for affordable housing. Huge profits, we argued, shouldn’t come at the expense of the poor. In the end, the City Council heard us loud and clear.

Real Change vendors helped to educate their customers and you responded with 422 emails and nearly 200 postcards. You came out in the rain to attend the “Zoned Out” forum on downtown development, and you packed the committee hearings right alongside the developers. And then, you won. This is what a community in action looks like.

The final legislation, in addition to strengthening environmental, labor, and transportation provisions, was a major win for poor people. The Mayor and most housing developers supported a housing bonus of $10 per square foot for development over previous height restrictions. The final legislation, through a tiered system that increases the bonus paid along with additional building height, will charge an average of $18.94 per net square foot. Over the next thirty years, this will mean tens of millions of additional dollars for desperately needed low-income housing.

This campaign brought many new people into action, and is just the beginning of what we can achieve when we come together. To join our take action list, please visit our website at realchangenews.org.

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