Comments on: Keeping Seattle weird/affordable http://www.djc.com/blogs/SeattleScape/2008/05/12/keeping-seattle-weird/ This blog will focus on how Seattle shapes itself -- its design, its planning and its aspirations. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:22:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Steve http://www.djc.com/blogs/SeattleScape/2008/05/12/keeping-seattle-weird/#comment-103 Steve Tue, 13 May 2008 17:41:08 +0000 http://www.djc.com/blogs/SeattleScape/2008/05/12/keeping-seattle-weird/#comment-103 One of the options that tends to get lost in this kind of discussion is to make it easier to convert existing houses to duplexes. We've got tons and tons of existing single-family structures, often with smaller families than they were built for. New construction is expensive, and often de-weirdifying, while conversions are affordable, green, and less of a change for the neighborhood. One of the options that tends to get lost in this kind of discussion is to make it easier to convert existing houses to duplexes. We’ve got tons and tons of existing single-family structures, often with smaller families than they were built for.

New construction is expensive, and often de-weirdifying, while conversions are affordable, green, and less of a change for the neighborhood.

]]> By: mhays http://www.djc.com/blogs/SeattleScape/2008/05/12/keeping-seattle-weird/#comment-102 mhays Tue, 13 May 2008 15:05:45 +0000 http://www.djc.com/blogs/SeattleScape/2008/05/12/keeping-seattle-weird/#comment-102 A partial reply.... More mother-in-law units, garage units, and subdivided houses would help affordability for "starving artists". We should also expand our housing levy for those at the low end. And we should keep building market rate housing. That's the best way to address affordability -- every new unit helps the supply/demand balance, which is the main culprit behind high prices for existing units. A partial reply….

More mother-in-law units, garage units, and subdivided houses would help affordability for “starving artists”.

We should also expand our housing levy for those at the low end.

And we should keep building market rate housing. That’s the best way to address affordability — every new unit helps the supply/demand balance, which is the main culprit behind high prices for existing units.

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