OPINION | Seattle's Affordable Housing System Is Crumbling. 'Roots to Roofs' Will Make It Worse.

Seattle's affordable housing system is in crisis — and Council Bill 121011, the "Roots to Roofs Bonus Pilot," isn't the solution. It's a developer giveaway wrapped in the language of racial equity. And after the August break, the City Council's Land Use Committee may move it forward, led by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, with support from Councilmember Mark Solomon.

A recent Seattle Times article laid bare what many of us have felt for years: Nonprofit housing providers are on the brink. Over 1,100 affordable units across 13 buildings are up for sale or have already sold because the financial model no longer works. Insurance premiums have soared. Construction costs are up. Rent delinquencies have nearly tripled since 2019. Providers are struggling to survive, and communities of color are bearing the brunt.

This is a funding crisis, not a zoning shortage. But "Roots to Roofs" doesn't offer funding. Instead, it gives developers permission to build much larger buildings than current rules allow — more floors, more units, and more square footage — in exchange for setting aside just 25% of those units as "affordable." The remaining 75% can be rented at full market rate.

And "affordable" is doing a lot of work here. The bill allows units to be priced for households earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI), without requiring any to serve those below 30% AMI, who happen to be the very people who are most at risk of being displaced in formerly redlined neighborhoods like the Central District and Rainier Valley.

The bill also strips away important safeguards like design review, parking minimums, and basic development standards. It includes no requirements for family-sized units, no support for nonprofit partners to sustain operations, and no real path to housing stability for those most in need.

Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has promoted this bill as a tool for racial justice. But invoking the legacy of redlining while doing nothing to repair its harm is not equity. Political branding does not equal reparative policy.

Councilmember Mark Solomon has been a visible advocate for anti-displacement efforts. His recent leadership in organizing a well-attended displacement prevention fair showed genuine commitment to connecting residents with resources to stay housed. We believe he supports this bill with good intentions. But we also believe it was sold to him as something it is not. "Roots to Roofs" doesn't reinforce anti-displacement work, it undermines it.

As lifelong residents of Seattle's Central District, we've lived through decades of policies that claim to help while quietly erasing us. This bill fits that pattern. It bypasses real community engagement and dismisses valid concerns by framing any opposition as "anti-equity." That kind of framing shuts down the very conversations we need.

The Seattle Times article made one thing clear: Affordable housing providers don't need more zoning capacity. They need operating support, capital investment, and tenant stability. "Roots to Roofs" offers none of that. It pushes risk onto nonprofits while delivering benefit to developers, and that's not a formula for racial justice.

This bill is a rebranded version of last year's Connected Communities proposal — which didn't pass because it lacked meaningful protections and community backing. "Roots to Roofs" is even weaker. Moving it forward now, while our housing ecosystem is collapsing, is not a solution. It's a setback.

Seattle doesn't need another pilot program. We need policy that keeps us rooted, supported, and seen.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

Lois Martin is a legacy resident of Seattle's Central District and a longtime child-care advocate.

Ruby Holland is the founder of Keep Your Habitat and a lifelong Central District resident.

Robert Stephens Jr. is a longtime Central District homeowner and president of the African American Veterans Group of Washington State.