Thursday, July 4, 2019

Seattle City Council now wants you to help solve their “housing crisis” with a backyard cottage





Imagine this: A liberal utopia that allows homeless criminals, drug addicts and the mentally ill to freely roam the streets with no consequences for their actions. You taxpayers have coughed up more than a BILLION dollars to help try and “solve” the homeless (now “housing”) crisis in King County.


The results? As you’ve seen here, I’ve done many, many, many, MANY posts that outline the criminal activities the city allows. For example:

Insanity in Seattle: Homeless man attempts to kidnap child. Guess how many previous arrests/convictions he has…

Demorat-run Seattle under siege: Man resorts to chasing armed car prowlerbecause he’s fed up with crime in his neighborhood

Resident in liberal utopia of Seattle who has been targeted by homeless: "Our community is just falling apart"

What demorats can do to a city: "Seattle is dying"

But good news! The Seattle City Council has FINALLY figured out how to solve the homeless/now-called housing crisis: Homeowners can build backyard cottages to house those living on the streets!

From MyNorthwest.com: Seattle is set to embark on a new frontier filled with backyard cottages, after Seattle City Council voted unanimously to approve a new measure Monday afternoon.

The bill expands the ability of homeowners looking to build backyard cottages and mother-in-law units. Supporters have argued that by allowing more small cottages — aka accessory dwelling units (ADU) — homeowners with adequate space could add more housing to the city, one backyard at a time.

"This legislation creates modest but meaningful changes to provide flexible, affordable housing options for families, homeowners, and renters while still preserving the look and feel of single-family neighborhoods," said Councilmember Mike O’Brien, who spearheaded the legislation.

Opening up ADU potential in Seattle is only part of a bill that’s been almost four years in the making. It modifies a range of property regulations with the goal of creating more living space in a city desperately in need of housing. The proposal would: Increase the allowable size of ADUs from 800 to 1,000 square feet; Allow ADUs to be built on smaller lots; Both backyard cottages and mother-in-law units could be built on the same property; and An owner occupancy requirement would be lifted. Previously, homeowners were required to live on site if they wished to rent on the property.

"Seattle is in the midst of an affordability and housing crisis," said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan in a news release. "This crisis calls on each of us to act with urgency, using every tool available to increase housing options and make room for our neighbors as quickly as possible.Today, the Seattle City Council took an important step with the passage of this legislation, but there is more work to do."

The council bill also goes beyond allowing for a new form of housing and bans another. "McMansions," or considerably large homes compared to the property they occupy, are banned in the legislation. The square footage of new homes will be limited in relation to the lot size.


Read the whole story here.


SOURCE
https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/seattle-city-council-now-wants-you-to-help-solve-their-housing-crisis-with-a-backyard-cottage/

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