Regional leaders come together on housing
In collaboration with the Eastside Multifamily Policy Group, the Bellevue Chamber hosted an engaging dinner event at Wild Ginger in Bellevue on May 13, bringing together a group of Seattle and Eastside elected officials and government affairs specialists.
Sponsored by Microsoft, the event featured a discussion led by Jenny Schuetz, a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, who is renowned for her research on housing and land use policies.
A distinguished economist, author, and speaker, her research at Brookings Metro focuses on improving housing and land use policies, and her insights have been featured in numerous prominent platforms including Marketplace, The Ezra Klein Show, Slate, and Bloomberg CityLab.
speaks to the group regarding her housing priorities.
Tuesday evening’s event saw attendance from Eastside mayors, planning directors, nonprofit and for-profit housing developers, and major employers like Microsoft and Amazon.
Jane Broom from Microsoft Philanthropies introduced Dr. Schuetz, setting the stage for a thought-provoking discussion on housing development and affordability. Here, she shared her expertise on various tools and policies that can expedite housing development and promote greater affordability.
Bellevue Chamber CEO Joe Fain encapsulated the event by stating: "Our region is not alone in facing an unprecedented housing shortage. There are many factors that contribute to this crisis, but they all boil down to one thing: We aren't building housing at the rate our population is growing ... More and more heads and not enough beds."
"Righting the ship requires powerful partnerships between government, nonprofits, major employers, and housing developers," he said.