NEWS HEADLINES

Seattle Approves Big Housing Levy

By Donna Kimura

Seattle voters came through again, passing a seven-year, $145 million levy for affordable housing Nov. 3.

The levy amounts to about $79 a year for the average homeowner in the city.

About $104 million is expected to fund the construction or preservation of affordable rental housing; $4.2 million will go toward rental assistance; $6.5 million will provide short-term loans to purchase land for affordable housing; about $14.4 million will go to an operating and maintenance fund; and $9.1 million will provide home buyer assistance.

In the early returns, Proposition 1 had about 63 percent of the vote.

Since 1981, Seattle voters have approved one bond and three levies to create affordable housing.