Bellevue's City Council has laid out a bold new plan to tackle the city's affordable housing crisis, aiming to create or preserve 5,700 units over the next decade, a significant spike from its previous targets. The council's decision, announced Tuesday, is seen as a response to the urgent need for affordable accommodations for households pulling in 80% or below of the area median income, with a particular focus on those earning under 50% of the AMI.
As reported by Bellevue's city news release, this ambitious new goal is a 110% increase over the affordable housing clocked in the past seven years and it outstrips the previous 10-year aim by 128%, which back in 2017, the city thought to achieve 2,500 affordable housing units, now it looks to shatter that by a significant margin this includes analysis and community feedback slated for this fall.
Shifting gears to sewer systems, Bellevue residents can expect their monthly bills to swell in the coming years, King County has revealed. The proposed 2025 monthly sewer rate is set to jump by 5.75%, landing at $58.28, but hold onto your wallets; a steady climb is on the horizon with rates forecasted to crank up yearly, peaking at 9.25% hikes between 2032 and 2034, suggesting a hefty $118.16 monthly rate by 2034. Bellevue Utilities is punching back with a letter to the County, demanding a focus on affordability and better long-term rate forecasts.
In lighter news, Bellevue Council has rolled out the red carpet for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, dedicating May as their heritage month and the first of May is all about the brave souls in firefighting gear—it's International Firefighters’ Day, and the council's proclamation is a hat tip to the heroes who rush into the flames for our community both past, present, and unfortunately, some who never made it out.
