Dear Tenant: Housing Shortage Too Severe to be Constrained by Nostalgia
I have been a landlord. And while landlords are among the least popular people in our culture and economy, somebody has to manage rental properties. Just imagine inviting 25, 60, or 100 strangers onto a property you are financially responsible for. Life happens. Parties happen. Noise happens. Abandoned furniture happens. Tragedy happens. And yes, sometimes, […]
Opening Up Single-Family Zones: “An Opportunity for a Decent Life”
The Seattle City Council actually did the right thing yesterday, passing Councilmember O’Brien’s legislation to permit encampments for people who are homeless and including an amendment by Councilmember Sawant to study encampments in single-family zones. We supported the legislation and the amendment, agreeing with Councilmember Sawant who said in yesterday’s discussion that: We are all […]
Rasmussen Proposal More Protectionism than Conservation
Outgoing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen unveiled his concept called Neighborhood Conservation Districts, borrowed from other cities around the country and designed to preserve the difficult define concept of “neighborhood character.” Rasmussen justified doing this on his own (Rasmussen is chair of the transportation committee) by saying Councilmembers should be concerned about all issues affecting the city, […]
