Alternative standards for development of low-income housing and social housing
Seattle Mun. Code § 23.44.170
in effectA. Development of low-income housing or social housing that meets all of the following criteria may meet the alternative development standards in subsection 23.44.170.B: 1. The restricted units are generally distributed throughout the development and have substantially the same functionality as unrestricted units, if any, in the development; 2. To the extent practicable, the restricted units are comparable to unrestricted units, if any, in terms of square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms; 3. The tenure (i.e., rental or ownership) of restricted units and unrestricted units, if any, is the same; 4. For ownership housing, the restricted units are stewarded by a qualified non-profit organization, which for purposes of this subsection 23.44.170.A means a non-profit organization that the Office of Housing determines as experienced in the development and stewardship of permanently affordable homes, including: a. Pre-purchase verification of income and other requirements for eligible households, affordable sale price calculations for approval by the Office of Housing, and execution of legal restrictions on the property; and b. Post-purchase support for homeowners by facilitating resales, monitoring compliance with financial, owner occupancy, and other legal requirements, and clear communication of program guidelines and restrictions; and 5. At such times as may be required by the Director of Housing but no less than annually, the property owner (for rental housing) or the qualified non-profit organization (for ownership housing) agree to file property reports with the Office of Housing, verified upon oath or affirmation, which shall contain such information as the Office of Housing may deem necessary to determine compliance with this subsection 23.44.170.A and the regulatory agreement, covenant, or other legal instrument. B. Proposed development on a lot meeting the criteria in subsection 23.44.170.A may elect to meet the following development standards in lieu of the standards in subsections 23.44.050.B (floor area), 23.44.060.A (density), and 23.44.070.A (structure height), and Sections 23.44.080 (lot coverage) and 23.54.015 (parking): 1. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) limit is 2.0. The applicable FAR limit applies to the total chargeable floor area of all structures on the lot. 2. The maximum density limit is one unit per 400 square feet. 3. The maximum height limit is 42 feet. 4. The maximum lot coverage is 60 percent. 5. No minimum required parking. (Ord. 127376 , § 31, 2025.)
Source: Seattle Municipal Code (Municode library)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_codeFetched: 7/25/2026