Announcing the Coalition for More Housing Choices
Dear Housing Partner,
We are writing you today on behalf of a broad spectrum of Puget Sound regional leaders, civic organizations, businesses, labor, and nonprofits who are advocating together for a shared and defined vision for housing in our region. As the Coalition for More Housing Choices, we believe that by working together we can successfully remove barriers to creating more housing choices in our shared home—choices that meet the needs of current residents and our growing population. As an organized effort, we are advocating for clear policies that lead to creating more housing choices for all.
We invite you to learn more about these guiding principles of the Coalition for More Housing Choices by visiting our website, morehousingchoices.org. You can also learn more about the need for more housing, policy solutions that have proven effective across the country, and how we may work together on this critical effort. We look forward to continuing our conversation with you on specific policies and advocacy for more housing choices in the future.
While the effort to form the Coalition for More Housing Choices began last year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global health crisis has only amplified the need for solutions that create more diverse, equitable, and affordable housing choices for all, including our most vulnerable residents. Efforts to address these issues are more urgent now than ever. The housing crisis is bigger than any one organization or government agency can solve alone, underscoring the need for a spirit of collaboration toward the common goal of enabling more housing choices so that current residents, newcomers, and future generations may find a home in our community that best fits their lives.
The Coalition for More Housing Choices is built on the regional leadership of its participating members. The Coalition has adopted guiding principles for addressing the housing crisis by drawing on proven policies and the experiences of those confronting it. In our work to help create more housing options and supply through thoughtful planning, we are also committed to helping identify the substantial public and private financial resources necessary to meet the housing crisis head on.
Our advocacy includes a clear-eyed look at aligning regulations with the need for more housing choices in our urban areas by promoting policies that are consistent with strong environmental values. This work is built on a fundamental commitment to promoting social and financial equity through greater access, diversity, and inclusion in policies governing the creation of more housing choices. Our region is home to a robust housing sector and together we know we can provide more market-rate and subsidized housing so that residents may find a home that best fits their lives.
We look forward to working with you to advance these principles for creating more housing choices and will be announcing how to realize specific policy outcomes in the future. We are all committed to a collaborative approach.
Should you wish to contact our new Coalition, please reach out directly to Allison Butcher at 425.460.8223 or info@morehousingchoices.org.
Sincerely,
Steering Committee of the Coalition for More Housing Choices:
Larry Brown, Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO
Donald King, The Nehemiah Initiative
Marty Kooistra, Housing Development Consortium
Cathy MacCaul, AARP
Peter Orser, UW Runstad Department of Real Estate Advisory Board
Irene Plenefisch, Microsoft Corporation
Andrea H. Reay, Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce
Kat Sims, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties