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Mayor Jenny A. Durkan speaks about Seattle's housing crisis and announces two initial key steps for more affordable housing as part of her new "Housing Seattle Now" plan.

First, Mayor Durkan announces new legislation to provide at least $50 million in new resources to build and support housing for people experiencing homelessness in Seattle without new taxes. A new state law passed this legislative session, House Bill 1406, gives local jurisdictions flexibility to use sales tax funds for capital dollars to build new housing, operate and maintain supportive housing, or a combination of capital and operations.

Second, Mayor Durkan announces she is transmitting legislation to City Council to renew and improve the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) Program. The MFTE program provides affordable rent, typically hundreds of dollars lower than market rate, to nearly 4,500 low- and middle-income households in private apartment buildings in neighborhoods across Seattle. 

This new legislation is part of Durkan's new "Housing Seattle Now," a plan for a surge of City investments in housing for low- and middle-income families in addition to ongoing housing investments made by the Seattle Housing Levy and Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA).