(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Microsoft Pledges $500 Million To Provide Affordable Housing in Seattle

Microsoft pledged $500 million to develop affordable housing and address homelessness. This pledge, its largest ever, comes in response to  Seattle’s widening affordability gap.

A large portion of the money will be spent on increasing housing options in the Puget Sound region for low- and middle-income workers. Those workers are being priced out of Seattle, and many of its suburbs as much of the new buildings target wealthier renters.

At this time, it is unclear what impact on affordable housing this fund will have on the region. According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, the company hopes that the $500 million will help to create “tens of thousands of units.”

Microsoft’s pledge comes less than a year after Seattle City Council failed to pass a “head tax” that would have meant companies making more than $200 million a year had to pay $275 per employee in taxes. That money would have been spent on resolving housing issues and homelessness.

“At some level we as a region are going to need to either say there are certain areas where we’re comfortable having more people live, or we just want to permanently force the people who are going to teach our kids in schools, and put out the fires in our houses, and keep us alive in the hospital, to spend four hours every day getting to and from work,” Smith told the Seattle Times. “That is not, in our view, the best outcome for the community.”

The money will be split three ways. $225 million will be loaned at below-market rates to developers who build for households making less than $124,000 a year. $250 million will be loaned at market-rates to help support new construction for people earning roughly $50,000 a year. Last, $25 million will be donated to services that assist low-income and homeless peoples. Loans will be made out over three years.

Lindsey Conger on InstagramLindsey Conger on Twitter
Lindsey Conger
Associate News Writer: Lindsey is a writer originally from Chicago but can now be found somewhere in Europe. She is driven by a passion to explore every corner of the world, spread her marketing and business knowledge, and to be able to speak Spanish fluently. Follow her on Instagram at @lindseyaconger

Like this article? Get updates by email and get our eBook for FREE

Subscribe and Get Updates!

GET PREMIUM CONTENT AND UPDATES FOR FREE!

Invalid email address
Give it a try. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Article Tags:
·
Article Categories:
Technology · US & World
94

Associate News Writer: Lindsey is a writer originally from Chicago but can now be found somewhere in Europe. She is driven by a passion to explore every corner of the world, spread her marketing and business knowledge, and to be able to speak Spanish fluently. Follow her on Instagram at @lindseyaconger

Recent Posts

Comments are closed.