The first time I walked into Cyndy’s House of Pancakes up on Aurora Avenue and 105th, I pretty much knew what I was getting into.  Mediocre coffee, service that I couldn’t quite decide if it was gruff or motherly, and a delicious stack of blueberry hotcakes.  I’ve only been back a couple of times, and the fact that I have lived in the neighborhood for almost 5 years begs the question as to why that is.  I guess I thought it would always be there.…

[Our affordable housing guru Neil Powers takes a look at the City's plan to spend those much-needed Housing Levy dollars approved last year. The initial review: So far, so good...]

Dr. Don Berwick, President Obama’s nominee to become the head of Medicare and Medicaid, visited United Way of King County last year and declared that 40% of good health is  “a roof over your head”.  To that end, Seattle citizens overwhelmingly voted last November for the $145 million Seattle Housing Levy Renewal, agreeing to extend…

On April 21, the Housing Development Consortium(HDC), North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA), and A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) hosted a forum on affordable housing tht provided an excellent introduction to the complexities of preserving and building affordable housing.  Speakers discussed the arsenal of tools (direct assistance to renters, land use incentives, subsidized housing development, project financing, outreach efforts to landlords and property owners) used to ensure this type of housing remains available to the growing number of individuals and families facing economic…

What Is Affordable Housing? from the Center for Urban Pedagogy on Vimeo.

The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP), a nonprofit that uses design and art to improve the quality of public participation in urban planning and community design, created a great video and website that explains what the term “affordable housing” means.

For those of you who didn’t already know, the government defines affordable housing as housing that costs no more than 30% of your income.

The…

National Housing Trust Fund linked with House jobs bill

The House of Representatives is currently debating a $75 billion “Jobs for Main Street” bill that includes $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), as well as $65 million for project-based vouchers to be distributed with NHTF dollars.  Fully funding the NHTF would not only guarantee affordable housing for King County’s most vulnerable populations, but would also provide a shot in the arm for the state’s ailing economy. According to the National…