Seattle's housing rules fall short on affordability goals, constrain supply
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Seattle's Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) fund has generated some affordable units but far fewer than expected, while reducing overall housing construction.
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Prior to MHA, Seattle's approach of allowing moderately higher density in certain areas led to thousands of new market-rate units, helping affordability.
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MHA's complex rules and high fees have discouraged small, local, and diverse builders from constructing new housing.
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The evidence shows that affordability mandates like MHA fail, while freeing the market to add supply succeeds.
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As cities tackle housing issues, they should not just follow HUD's ideological pushes for heavy regulations. The evidence matters more.