replacements

In Ballard many home are being torn down and townhouses built in their place but none are affordable to the average worker. Huge apartment complexes a have been built and five more in various stages of completion and none will be "affordable Housing."

Lock Vista has 191 apartments, most are "affordable," and a investor wants to convert them to condominiums. Various organizations are trying to find ways to get enough financing to buy the units. Mayor Nickels tried to get builders to build affordable housing but it resulted in very few affordable units and most would go away after a certain number of years.

In Phinney Ridge residents are trying to prevent part of their neighborhood from converting to condos.

I have a proposal. Since the cities or counties can't pass a regulation to prevent conversions, tax any new construction that replaces an affordable house or apartment building a percentage of the actual cost of construction of the new building (not the cost of the land). The funds would be deposited in a fund to buy dwellings that are affordable and turn them over to a non-profit organization to manage so taxes would not have to be paid on the property.

This is the only way to make sure they remain affordable and to have enough units to make a difference.

Glen Carey

Ballard