Blaine Weber & Daily Journal of Commerce on Solving Seattle's Condominium Conundrum

As Blaine Weber, Senior Principal of Weber Thompson Architects, proclaims in a recent Daily Journal of Commerce article, “the affordable housing crisis is one of the more perplexing problems facing rapidly growing cities like Seattle.” One proposed solution is to add to the supply of small, affordable condominiums in the city, yet as a 2016 paper published by the University of Washington Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies notes, condominiums in Seattle are overwhelmingly “beyond the means of the average-income individual.” So, Weber asks, why is there a lack of supply amidst rising demand in the Emerald City? Though there are myriad reasons, a main one can be attributed to the liability associated with building multi-family units for sale in Washington state, given regulations outlined within the Washington State Condominium Development Act.

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