Dive Brief:
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As Seattle struggles to address a lack of affordable housing, an edict by the City Council that new efficiency-style apartments have to measure at least 220 square feet has boosted rents by as much as 72% and drawn criticism from affordable housing advocates, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
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Even the city planner has accused the council, whose new rules have made small apartments more expensive to build, of “overreaching” and refusing to give micro-housing “a fair shake,” the publication reported.
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Smaller units, called “congregate housing,” may still include as few as 70 square feet if they have access to a shared kitchen, have a certain number of sinks, and include parking in some areas of the city.
Dive Insight:
Before the council issued its new rules in the fall, micro-apartments were growing in popularity, especially among young renters. During a recent press conference, Department of Planning and Development Director Diane Sugimura described a popular, 150-square-foot unit with its own bathroom and a shared kitchen that rented for as low as $600 a month. From 2007 through 2014, approximately 3,600 of those units were built in Seattle.