Bellevue is moving forward with a major expansion of affordable housing after City Council members approved over $37 million in funding earlier this month, the largest allocation of its kind in the city’s history.
The investment will help advance four developments in Bellevue, contributing to 271 affordable housing units locally and another 234 units across the Eastside. City officials say construction on two of the Bellevue projects is expected to begin before the end of the year.
The funding decision aligns with the city’s Affordable Housing Strategy, which outlines a long-term goal of producing or preserving 5,700 affordable homes within the next decade.
According to the city’s Office of Housing, the funding supports projects designed to increase access to housing in areas close to services and transit. “These funds will create new affordable housing for families throughout Bellevue and across the Eastside, in primarily walkable neighborhoods,” said Bianca Siegl, director of the Office of Housing. She added that the scale of this year’s allocation reflects the city’s ongoing push to keep housing attainable for a wide range of residents.
The funding pool was assembled from multiple sources, including the Housing Stability Program, funded through a state-required sales tax, and a one-time Affordable Housing Fund drawn from the city’s long-term financial reserves.
Combined, these sources provided up to $37 million for this round of awards. Additional support of $1.3 million came from A Regional Coalition for Housing’s Housing Trust Fund, which also extends funding to projects beyond Bellevue.
Among the projects receiving support are:
- Forest Edge, led by Imagine Housing, which will bring 100 rental homes ranging from studios to three-bedroom units on faith-owned property. These homes will be priced for households earning up to 60% of area median income.
- Altaire at East Main, a partnership between SRM and Hopelink, will deliver 145 apartments near light rail, with a mix of one- to three-bedroom units targeted to households earning 30% to 60% of area median income. A portion of the units will be reserved for families transitioning out of homelessness, with supportive services provided on site.
- Orchard Gardens, developed by Habitat for Humanity, will add 25 permanently affordable three-bedroom ownership homes for households earning up to 80% of area median income.
- Bellevue Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), led by Bellwether Housing, received predevelopment funding for 127 future apartments planned on city-owned land near light rail, intended for households earning between 30% and 60% of area median income.
While construction timelines vary by project, city officials confirmed that two developments are slated to break ground later this year.
Looking ahead, Bellevue is preparing to open another funding cycle. A new request for proposals under the 2026 Housing Stability Program is expected to be released in early summer, giving developers another opportunity to seek support for additional affordable housing projects.
