The purpose of SeaTac's Housing Action Plan is to encourage more housing options for residents across all income levels and a stronger, more livable community. The Plan accomplishes this by identifying and prioritizing action items for City department work plans that promote the construction of more housing, and housing types, throughout SeaTac. 

Project News (9/16/2021)

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021: CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS SEATAC HOUSING ACTION PLAN
After months of community and stakeholder input, and multiple Planning Commission and PED committee reviews, City Council adopted the city’s first Housing Action Plan. The plan identifies and prioritizes 12 housing strategies the City can implement to encourage the construction of more housing and housing types, available to households at all income levels.

•  SeaTac Housing Action Plan (Adopted 9/14/2021)
  - Appendix A: Housing Inventory & Assessment Report
            ---Note: Appendix A includes the SeaTac Displacement Risk Assessment
  - Appendix B: Community Engagement Results
  
  
• Housing Action Plan Information Handouts:
  - SeaTac Population and Housing Quick Facts

PUBLIC HEARING ON DRAFT HOUSING ACTION PLAN, MAY 26, 2021
The Planning Commission held a virtual public hearing on the Draft Housing Action Plan on Wednesday, May 26, at 5:30 pm.

•  Draft SeaTac Housing Action Plan (Public Hearing Draft, 5/11/2021)

PRESENTATION SLIDES FROM MAY 17 VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE ON DRAFT HOUSING ACTION PLAN NOW AVAILABLE

• 5/17 Virtual Open House Presentation Slides

ONLINE HOUSING SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY
An online open house survey was open from March 5 to April 23, 2021, in four languages:  English, Amharic, Somali and Spanish. 

• Total responses: 105 (4 in Amharic, 1 Spanish).
• Summary of participant characteristics:
  • Approximately 75%  of respondents were homeowners (compared to 50% citywide).
  • Approximately 25% of respondents were renters (compared to 50% citywide).
  • Around 20% of respondents speak a non-English language at home (compared to 50% citywide).  Note:  In many cases, English is spoken in addition to a non-English language.

• Results can be accessed in Appendix B of the adopted Housing Action Plan here:  SeaTac Housing Action Plan

Project Activities

Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report

This draft report was completed as the first step in this project to provide background data on housing supply and demand in the city and identify gaps in SeaTac's housing stock.  The finalized report will be included as an appendix to the completed Housing Action Plan.

• Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report - Public Review Draft (March - Updated to include Executive Summary)
• Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report - Public Review Draft (January)
• Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report Key Findings Summary
• PED City Council Committee Review Question & Answer Sheet

Housing Action Plan Project Goals

The main goal of the Housing Action Plan project is to identify strategies that promote increases in the city’s housing supply and options for current and future residents at all income levels.  Specific objectives include encouraging more housing near light rail stations within the City's three designated station area/"urban villages," exploring less common housing types like townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings (sometimes called the “missing middle”), and supporting home ownership and other ways to increase housing choices in the city.

Project Timeline

• SUMMER - FALL 2020:      Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report  and preliminary outreach
• WINTER - SPRING 2021:  Community Engagement on Housing Strategies for increasing housing options
• SPRING 2021:    Complete Draft Housing Action Plan based on findings from Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report & community/stakeholder engagement process
• SUMMER 2021:  City Council Housing Action Plan Review & Adoption Process

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is SeaTac developing a Housing Action Plan (HAP)? 
SeaTac is a great place to live, but it is getting more expensive. As the population grows and the supply of homes does not keep up with the demand, it is getting harder to find and afford a home. Fortunately, the Washington Department of Commerce provided a grant to help SeaTac figure out how to increase housing options over the coming years.

What is the goal of the HAP?
The Housing Action Plan is for current and future SeaTac decision-makers, residents and stakeholders. It is intended to be a “one-stop-shop” for housing data and the City’s housing strategies. The plan will be completed by June 2021, and will help guide the City’s housing decisions over the next several years.

Who is the HAP for and how will it be used?
The Housing Action Plan is for current and future SeaTac decision-makers, residents and stakeholders. It is intended to be a “one-stop-shop” for housing data and the City’s housing strategies. The plan will be completed by June 2021, and will help guide the City’s housing decisions over the next several years.

Will the HAP make homeownership more attainable in SeaTac?
The City of SeaTac is not a housing producer or provider, so there will not be any immediate change. However, the Housing Action Plan will recommend adjustments to regulations and policies to encourage development of more homes—with a range of types and prices—to make homeownership more attainable.

Why not wait to do this project when data is available from the 2020 Census?
The decennial Census does not provide most of the detailed housing data needed for the project.  This type of detailed information on income and other data points is no longer gathered as part of the decennial Census but is now compiled through the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) ongoing survey program.

What is the accuracy of the data collected for the project's Draft Housing Inventory & Assessment Report?
Staff and the consultant team believe the data in the Report provides an accurate snapshot in time of SeaTac’s housing supply and demand because it is from widely recognized sources including the US Census American Community Survey (ACS), the state Office of Finance and Management (OFM) and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).  However, it is true that not all of the data in the Report is from the same year, and also that a margin of error can be associated with some of the data sources.  In order to address these issues, the consultants are creating an information page on the margin of error associated with various data points that will be added to the Methodologies section of the final version of the Report.

Who is preparing the HAP?
SeaTac’s consultant team—MAKERS and BERK Consulting—is assisting in the preparation of the Housing Action Plan.  The City Council, the Planning Commission, residents and community stakeholders will provide input through a variety of community engagement activities over the course of the project.

How can I get involved?
Sign up to receive emails about this project from the City. [Contact Senior Planner Kate Kaehny at kkaehny@seatacwa.gov]. We will let you know when there are opportunities to share your thoughts. You can also visit the project webpage to look at documents, submit comments, and stay informed.

For More Information

For more information about this project, please contact Senior Planner Kate Kaehny at kkaehny@seatacwa.gov.

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