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In public comment, speaker 'Steve' urges review of MHA fees and restoration of design review
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Summary
An in-person public commenter identified as Steve told the Land Use Committee that Seattle's Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) fees 'have never been reviewed,' argued low fees benefit developers, and urged raising fees and reinstating design review to deliver more affordable housing and neighborhood income mixing.
During the public comment period at the March 17, 2026 Land Use and Sustainability Committee meeting, an in-person speaker identified as Steve addressed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) and what he described as a failure to review the program's fee structure.
"MHA has never been reviewed," Steve said, urging the council to re-examine the low fees and to raise them if necessary. He said raising those fees "will provide housing, and, hopefully, it will provide putting people of different incomes around the city in many neighborhoods." He added that "the city seems to be for housing as long as the developers say it's okay," and advocated bringing back design review.
Chair Eddie Lynn thanked the speaker and then proceeded to the committee's business. The remarks were the meeting's sole public comment; the clerk had announced two-minute speaking slots and a 60-minute public comment period.
The comment reflected a call for policy review rather than a formal proposal before the committee; no committee action on MHA occurred during this meeting.
