Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has announced a new executive order aimed at speeding up housing construction and addressing affordability by streamlining the city’s
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has announced a new executive order aimed at speeding up housing construction and addressing affordability by streamlining the city’s permitting process and launching a Housing Production Task Force.
The actions are outlined in Executive Order 2026-4, which the mayor’s office said is designed to spur both affordable and market-rate housing by making permitting faster and more predictable and by convening a task force to advise the mayor’s housing agenda.
“Housing that people can afford is critical to a city that works for everyone,” Wilson said during a Wednesday press release. “We can't control every force that drives up the cost of building homes, but we can act where it counts. This Executive Order is about clearing the path, cutting the delays, and building the housing Seattle needs — now.”
Immediate permitting actions
Within existing resources, the city said it will take near-term steps to improve permitting timelines and coordination across departments.
The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections will help low-income housing developers navigate cross-department processes, with a focus on supporting community-driven development.
Seattle City Light, the Seattle Department of Transportation, the Seattle Fire Department, and Seattle Public Utilities will each designate a primary point of contact for interdepartmental coordination to quickly resolve permitting issues for applicants.
The mayor’s office also said it will propose funding for an Affordable Housing Ombuds in the 2027-28 budget and will launch a Residential Permitting Interdepartmental Team intended to make permit timelines shorter and more predictable across regulatory departments involved in most housing construction projects.
A new Housing Production Task Force
The executive order establishes a Housing Production Task Force convened by the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Planning and Community Development, the Office of Housing, and SDCI.
The city said the task force will include representatives from labor, affordable housing providers, community-driven organizations, and market-rate developers.
The city said the group is charged with developing and advancing policies to accelerate housing production to meet Seattle’s growing and changing needs, with a focus on solutions to expedite and incentivize housing production, encourage community-driven development, support affordable housing infrastructure, and prevent displacement of households with low incomes.
Grounded in housing needs and production data, the city said the task force will examine strategies to grow housing for families below 50% of area median income and larger households, recommend updates to the Mandatory Housing Affordability program, shape the future of Design Review, strengthen the pipeline of permanent supportive housing, support homeownership and anti-displacement strategies, and preserve existing affordable housing.
The task force will work over 12 months in partnership with the mayor’s office and Seattle City Council. It is expected to deliver a status update with 2027 policy recommendations no later than February 2027, and final recommendations for 2028 and 2029 by September 2027.
Aligned department work and public partnership
The mayor’s office said the executive order builds on work already underway across city departments, including Phase 3 of Comprehensive Plan zoning implementation; Equitable Development Initiative strategic planning and coordination with housing development projects; a cross-departmental Anti-displacement Working Group; new Office of Housing capital, preservation and operating investments; use of publicly owned land for affordable housing; an office-to-residential conversion program; and integration of recent state law changes related to middle housing, transit-oriented development and permitting reform.
The city also said it will leverage efforts at other levels of government, including King County’s Breaking the Cycle workgroup and its countywide housing revenue table, and the Washington Accelerator for Residential Production.
