The city of Bellevue has started updating its Affordable Housing Strategy. This year-long effort will revise the plan for creating and preserving affordable housing in the city. The updated strategy sets a goal of adding or preserving 5,700 affordable housing units over the next 10 years.
The new target, approved by the Bellevue City Council in May, is a 128% increase from the original 10-year goal. Of the 5,700 units, 2,700 will be for households earning up to 30% of the area median income (AMI), 1,450 for those earning between 30% and 50% of AMI, and 1,550 for households earning between 50% and 80% of AMI.
Mayor Lynne Robinson highlighted the city’s ongoing commitment to housing affordability. “While I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in reaching our original housing goals, it’s not enough,” Robinson said. “These new goals show our dedication to making sure Bellevue remains a place everyone can afford to live.”
Since the city adopted its first Affordable Housing Strategy in 2017, Bellevue has made progress toward meeting 21 specific actions across five key strategy areas. In 2022, the city introduced the “Next Right Work” actions, which focused on increasing the variety of housing types and reducing barriers to new housing development.
The “Next Right Work” actions helped Bellevue meet its original goal of adding or preserving 2,500 affordable housing units by 2027. As of now, 2,270 units have been created or preserved, with 709 more units already approved and in the city’s development pipeline.
The updated strategy will focus on increasing affordable housing opportunities for households earning up to 80% of AMI. This aligns with Bellevue’s growth projections in the newly adopted 2024-2044 Comprehensive Plan. The update process will include many community engagement opportunities throughout the year. More information is available on the city’s website.
