On Jan. 29, Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an executive order outlining new strategies to combat displacement. The document puts forth four core anti-displacement strategies to be included in the upcoming comprehensive plan, such as the establishment of an Anti-Displacement Work Group (ADWG), “service design improvements,” a proposed plan for policy implementation, and an annual housing report.
The executive order mandates that an ADWG shall be established in 2025. One responsibility of the ADWG will include identifying ways to coordinate outreach and communications on anti-displacement resources for people most at-risk (e.g., seniors, BIPOC, low-income, etc.) and for those living in areas of the city with heightened displacement risk, as indicated by the Displacement Risk Dashboard and other information.
The order outlines several service design improvements including a mandate that the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) must send draft legislation to the mayor’s office no later than June 30, 2025, that deters predatory home-buying practices in Seattle. It also requires that the ADWG and the Office of Planning Community Development (OPCD) submit to the mayor’s office a proposed plan with timelines for implementing the mandatory actions outlined in the order.
Lastly, following the first full year after the adoption of the One Seattle Plan, the OPCD is required to coordinate the production of an annual housing report that is completed no later than by the end of the first quarter of the following year.
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