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Study: Kirkland’s multifamily tax exemptions shift modest tax burden, deliver affordable units at lower per‑household cost than a levy
Summary
A consultant briefing showed Kirkland’s multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) program exempts about $626 million in assessed value in 2025, shifted roughly $2.1 million in total taxes onto other taxpayers and supports about 210 affordable units. Analysts concluded the tax shift per median homeowner is small relative to
Kirkland — A consultant team presented preliminary results on Oct. 21 from a fiscal impact analysis of Kirkland’s multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) program, finding the program has supported hundreds of units of affordable housing while shifting a small portion of property tax obligations to other taxpayers.
Lede: Burke & Associates (contracted through ARCH) analyzed assessor data and MFTE reporting and estimated that MFTE properties in Kirkland exempted about $626 million in assessed value in 2025. The consultant estimated roughly $2.1 million in total property taxes were shifted in 2025 and about $581,000 of that was the city’s portion; the program supported about 210 MFTE‑restricted units as of October 2025.
Why this matters: The analysis focused on comparing the cost to taxpayers of MFTE (tax shift across taxing jurisdictions…
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