‘I think this is a very smart move’: Curley praises Nilu Jenks’ push to make Seattle housing easier to build

Newly elected Seattle City Councilmember Nilu Jenks campaigned on increasing housing supply by changing zoning rules, shortening permitting timelines, and revising affordable housing requirements. Jenks won the District 5 seat representing North Seattle, according to Reason’s report on her election and housing proposals.

On “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, host John Curley praised Jenks’ approach and called for fewer obstacles to private housing construction.

“I think this is a very smart move,” Curley said. “Maybe we’ll start to see some people building.”

Curley welcomes changes to housing requirements

Curley discussed Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program, which requires developers to include income-restricted housing in new projects or pay into the city’s affordable housing fund. Jenks has proposed revising the program as part of her housing agenda.

In describing the policy, Curley used a hypothetical development to explain the choice builders face.

“You’re going to build 100 units. Twenty percent of them or 10% of them need to be set aside for affordable housing,” Curley said.

Curley then described developers choosing to make a payment instead of including affordable units.

“They got a whole bunch of money. Then the state is, or the city is supposed to build,” Curley said.

He praised Jenks’ interest in changing those requirements and zoning rules.

“Affordable housing does not come when you just have the government build it,” Curley said. “That’s not the way to go.”

Permitting delays and construction costs

Curley also discussed Mayor Katie Wilson’s interest in faster permitting and the time developers spend waiting for utility approvals.

“Permitting process has to be quicker when it comes to having everything hooked up,” Curley said. “Sometimes you get the Seattle City Light to come out there. They’re 18 months behind schedule in order to sign off on these programs, and every dollar gets counted towards interest.”

Curley linked faster approvals to his argument for increasing housing supply.

“Generally, speed the process along, bring down the price of the housing, create more housing, and then you’ll see supply and demand begin to meet, and we’ll begin to have more affordable housing,” Curley said.

Curley criticizes neighborhood opposition to construction

Curley ended the segment with a hypothetical example of a Wallingford resident who supports progressive causes but objects to new housing next door.

“When they find out that, oh, they’re gonna knock down the cute little bungalow next to him, and they’re gonna put up some, you know, six or seven units, that guy’s screaming and yelling,” Curley said. “So they fight it, and they go down to City Hall, and they fight this stuff, and they try to block as much as they can.”

He returned to his support for making construction easier.

“They’ve opened up the permitting area. Wilson’s working on that, so maybe you start to see some affordable housing,” Curley said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to The John Curley Show weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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