Re: “Seattle voters OK almost $1 billion housing tax” [Nov. 7, Local News]:
I commend the residents of Seattle for passing the housing tax to deal with the town’s inexpensive housing challenges. As a resident of Bellevue and govt director of the nonprofit group Think about Housing, I mirror on the vital want for inexpensive housing in numerous municipalities all through the area. Though usually neglected, the Eastside additionally faces a quickly escalating housing disaster. Because of this hourly employees within the healthcare, nonprofit, hospitality or childcare sectors can not afford a house within the communities the place they work.
Seattle’s housing tax will put aside $122 million to fund operations and pay raises for social employees. I applaud Seattle for recognizing the significance of truthful compensation for these on the entrance strains of our area’s defining problem.
Having devoted my profession to housing and the nonprofit sector, I’m lucky to stay, work and lift my household on the east facet. Nevertheless, a lot of my colleagues can not. The levy funding is prone to have cascading results on neighboring communities. I’m involved about how Seattle’s wage improve will problem workforce retention for different social service nonprofits all through the area. As wages rise in Seattle, how will different municipalities retain their human companies workforce?
Yi Zhao, Bellevue