We need solutions to our housing crisis now.

In recent years, the cost of living has increased much faster than wages for low and middle-income families at a time when 40 percent of Americans don’t have $400 to cover emergency expenses. This has forced teachers and firefighters to live outside the neighborhoods they serve, accelerated gentrification in communities of color, increased traffic and commute times, and squeezed seniors out of their homes.

Worst of all, the rapid rise in rents has caused thousands of our neighbors to become homeless. And without a safe and healthy home, it’s much more difficult to recover from an injury, address a mental or behavioral health disorder, or apply for a new job. We must fully fund emergency services while also addressing the root cause of homelessness if we’re ever going to break the cycle.

The solution is clear: we need more affordable homes. The Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote on a proposal supporting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) next week. The proposal would remove regulatory barriers in the Land Use Code to make it easier for property owners to create backyard cottages and increase the number and variety of housing choices in Seattle’s single-family zones, a desperately-needed measure to fight our housing affordability crisis. Will you send a letter to your Seattle city councilmember and ask them to support the ADU proposal?