Op-Ed: Seattle Must Fund MHA Inclusionary Zoning or Axe It

An opinion piece argues Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) policy is blocking new housing construction despite the city investing over $460 million annually in affordable housing. Housing permit applications have fallen 88% since 2020, while MHA now generates just 7% of affordable housing funding—down from 57% in 2021. The author urges Seattle to either fully fund MHA through property tax abatements like Oregon recently did, or eliminate it entirely in lower-density zones to unblock thousands of stalled housing units.