On Monday, Sept. 27, the Seattle City Council passed a Coalition for More Housing Choices-supported ordinance, C.B. 120257, making it easier for more churches and religious organizations to build much needed affordable housing. This measure modified an ordinance that the Council adopted last June allowing for affordable housing development to exceed zoning restrictions on properties owned or controlled by religious organizations.

The Coalition for More Housing Choices is part of a network of associations and organizations who have been working since March to formulate a strategy to close the homeownership gap between Black households and white households in the Puget Sound region. On Tuesday, Oct. 5, several partners presented the Seven-Point Plan to Increase Black Homeownership in the Puget Sound Region at the Housing Washington Conference.

June is National Homeownership Month, giving us the opportunity to reflect on both the benefits of homeownership and the ongoing barriers to accessing this vital pathway to wealth generation and housing stability. The work to reduce and remove barriers to homeownership is one that requires a spirit of collaboration at multiple levels of government. It also requires the direct engagement of the communities who proudly call our region home.

We are writing you today on behalf of a broad spectrum of Puget Sound regional leaders, civic organizations, businesses, labor, and nonprofits who are advocating together for a shared and defined vision for housing in our region. As the Coalition for More Housing Choices, we believe that by working together we can successfully remove barriers to creating more housing choices in our shared home—choices that meet the needs of current residents and our growing population. As an organized effort, we are advocating for clear policies that lead to creating more housing choices for all.