The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that a united Seattle City Council approved new rules related to micro-housing, which developers and mayor Ed Murray aren’t happy about.
The new bill will require micro-housing, which it refers to as “small efficiency dwelling units,” or SEDUs, to be a minimum size, have a certain number of sinks, provide parking in some areas of the city, and go through the city’s design-review process. Some parties, such as a developer-backed group called Smart Growth Seattle contends these requirements will make development so expensive that rents will skyrocket from a monthly $800 to $1,375. A councilmember said developers brought the new requirements on themselves by “gaming the system.”