Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda acknowledges the city has seen revenue growth in recent years but says those funds aren’t directly earmarked for low-income housing.
Mosqueda explained Wednesday that housing is becoming more and more necessary because the skyrocketing cost of housing in Seattle is causing more and more people to end up homeless.
“With every $100 increase in rent, we see a 15 percent increase in homelessness, " said Mosqueda.
Since existing shelters are at capacity, additional revenue is needed to get more people into new shelters and low-income housing – which is why, she says, 66 percent of the tax plan is targeting just that.
Mosqueda also admits the city needs to do a better job of communicating its strategic plan and current progress on the homelessness issue - but added that, while Amazon and Starbucks are vital drivers of Seattle’s thriving economy, the companies aren’t doing enough to share their prosperity.
