Who Gets to Own the City

Seattle continues to grow and evolve, yet the vast majority of new multifamily housing is built for rent. While increasing housing supply is essential, we need to ask whether we are creating a city where more people can afford to stay and put down roots. By focusing almost exclusively on rental housing, we risk perpetuating a cycle where people spend decades paying for a home without the opportunity to build equity or benefit from its long-term value. Housing affordability should not only be measured by what people can afford today, but by how their housing choices affect their financial independence over time.

Condominiums offer an important alternative. In a city where land is limited and single-family homes are increasingly out of reach, thoughtfully designed multifamily housing can create more attainable paths to ownership. Smaller homes, flexible layouts, and opportunities for multigenerational living or rental income can help people enter the market, manage housing costs, and adapt as their lives change. By making better use of urban land, we can create more opportunities for people to own homes in the neighborhoods where they already live, work, and belong.

Ownership also changes our relationship with the places we live. When we have a stake in our homes, we have a reason to care for them, invest in our neighborhoods, and contribute to the communities around us. Over time, ownership can offer greater financial stability, more predictable housing costs, and lasting value that can be passed between generations. It allows people to participate in the appreciation of the city they help shape, rather than remaining solely renters within it.

We believe Seattle needs a healthier balance between rental and ownership housing. Both serve important purposes, but meaningful choice requires access to both. Taking the long view means looking beyond how many homes we build to consider who benefits from them over time. Development should not only create places to live, but give more people the opportunity to own a piece of the city they call home.