Committee recommends Thomas Geffner for Seattle Social Housing Public Development Authority board

The Housing, Arts and Civil Rights Committee voted May 27 to recommend confirmation of Thomas Geffner to the governing council of the Seattle Social Housing Public Development Authority; the recommendation will be forwarded to the Seattle City Council on June 2, 2026.

Chair and committee members introduced the appointment and noted the board and staff are preparing the organization to deliver permanently affordable housing under a new charter. Thomas Geffner described a career in affordable housing development, saying he has led financing, acquisition and development work for organizations including Community Roots and Great Expectations and has studied social-housing models at the University of Cambridge. "I have dedicated my career to the furtherance of affordable housing in Seattle," Geffner said.

Councilmember Juarez and others pressed Geffner on how lessons from European social-housing systems would translate to Seattle, and on ensuring social housing qualifies as a governmental function so the developer can access lower-cost public debt. Geffner said financing structure, reserve policies and translating bond models are important and that charter amendments under consideration will address financing questions.

Councilmember Rinck asked about ongoing maintenance and operations funding and about the developer’s resident governance provisions in the charter. Geffner said operational sustainability requires conservative reserve planning and efficient property management and described resident governance as an experimental model that would need adaptation and learning in the U.S. context.

The chair moved to recommend confirmation of appointment 03508; the motion was seconded and the clerk reported three votes in favor and none opposed. The committee’s recommendation will be sent to the full City Council for final confirmation on June 2, 2026.