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Home > Incentive
Programs > Residential Bonus Program
Downtown
Midrise (MR) zones
Highrise (HR) zones
Dravus
Applying for Bonus Funding
Downtown
Zones: DOC-1 Unlimited/450-Unlimited, DOC-2 500/300-500, DMC 240/290-400 and DMC 340/290-400
Extra floor area: Height above base limit for zone
Performance option:
- Amount: Housing affordable to/occupied by low-income households must equal 15.6% of bonus floor area.
- Location: Low-income housing provided to qualify for a bonus must be provided within the residential development benefiting from the bonus or on a site adjacent to that development.
- Income limits: 80% AMI for rental and 100% AMI for owner-occupied units.
- Affordability term: 50 years beginning at issuance of final certificate of occupancy for the project using the bonus.
- The low- or moderate-income housing must be newly constructed or converted from nonresidential use.
- Agreement between housing owner and City must be executed and recorded prior to issuance of building permit for the housing.
Payment option:
- Amount: The developer pays the lesser of:
— An amount that equals the approximate cost of developing the same number and quality of housing units that would be developed under the performance option, as determined by the DPD Director; or
— In DOC-1 and DOC-2 zones, $18.94 per bonus square foot; or in DMC zones, between $10-$25 per bonus square foot, not to exceed an average of $18.94 per bonus square foot (important – see 23.49.015.B for more on calculating the bonus amount)
- Timing: Cash payments must be paid prior to issuance, and as a condition to issuance, of any building permit after the first building permit for the development, and before any permit is issued for construction activity other than excavation and shoring.
- Location of low- and moderate-income housing: Housing funded with cash payments will be prioritized first within the Downtown Urban Center and second in Urban Centers adjacent to the Downtown Urban Center.
Code references:
- SMC 23.49.015: Bonus residential floor area for voluntary agreements for low-income housing and moderate-income housing
- SMC 23.49.008: Structure height
For more information contact Laura Hewitt Walker, (206) 684-0429.
Midrise (MR) Zones
Zones: Lots in MR and MR/85 zones in urban villages, urban centers and Station Area Overlay Districts
Extra floor area:
- Density above base FAR for zone: MR and MR/85 zones in eligible areas
- Height above base limit for zone: MR zones in eligible area
Performance option:
- Amount: Housing equal to the greatest of (a) 17.5% of 80% of the bonus residential floor area if affordable/occupied by low-income households or equal to 10.0% of 80% of the bonus residential floor area if affordable/occupied by households with incomes no higher than 50% of median income; (b) 300 net residential square feet; or (c) any minimum floor area specified in the provisions of the zone.
- Location: Low-income housing provided to qualify for a bonus must be provided within the residential development benefiting from the bonus or on a site approved by the Director of Housing. There are additional locational criteria and requirements for off-site housing (see SMC 23.58A.014.B.5).
- Income limits: 80% AMI for rental and 100% AMI for owner-occupied.
- Affordability term: 50 years from the later of the date when the agreement between the housing owner and City is recorded or the date when the affordable housing becomes available for occupancy as determined by the City.
- The low- or moderate-income housing must be newly constructed or converted from a nonresidential use.
- Agreement between housing owner and City must be executed and recorded prior to issuance of building permit for the project using the bonus residential floor area.
Payment option: This is not an option in MR zones or any other zone where the maximum height for residential use is less than 85’.
Code references:
- SMC 23.58A.014: Bonus residential floor area for affordable housing
- SMC 23.45.516: Additional height and extra residential floor area in Midrise and Highrise zones
- SMC 23.45.510: Floor area ratio (FAR) in Midrise and Highrise zones
- SMC 23.45.514: Structure height in Midrise and Highrise zones
For more information contact Laura Hewitt Walker, (206) 684-0429.
Highrise (HR) Zones
Zones: Lots in HR zones
Extra floor area:
- Density above base FAR for zone
- Height above base limit for zone
Performance option:
- Amount: Housing equal to the greatest of (a) 17.5% of 80% of the bonus residential floor area if affordable/occupied by low-income households or equal to 10.0% of 80% of the bonus residential floor area if affordable/occupied by households with incomes no higher than 50% of median income; (b) 300 net residential square feet; or (c) any minimum floor area specified in the provisions of the zone.
- Location: Low-income housing provided to qualify for a bonus must be provided within the residential development benefiting from the bonus or on a site approved by the Director of Housing. There are additional locational criteria and requirements for off-site housing (see SMC 23.58A.014.B.5).
- Income limits: 80% AMI for rental and 100% AMI for owner-occupied units.
- Affordability term: 50 years from the later of the date when the agreement between the housing owner and City is recorded or the date when the affordable housing becomes available for occupancy as determined by the City.
- Agreement bbetween housing owner and City must be executed and recorded prior to issuance of building permit for the project using the bonus residential floor area.
Payment option:
- Amount: In lieu of all or part of the performance option, an applicant may pay to the City $18.94 per square foot of net bonus residential floor area (defined as gross square footage of housing bonus residential floor area multiplied by an efficiency factor of 80%.
- Timing: Cash payments must be paid prior to issuance, and as a condition to issuance, of any building permit after the first building permit for the development, and before any permit is issued for construction activity other than excavation and shoring.
- Location: Housing funded with cash payments will be prioritized first within the same neighborhoods where the developments using the bonus residential floor area are located; second within ½ mile of light rail or bus rapid transit stations; and third within ¼ mile of a bus or streetcar stop.
Code references:
- SMC 23.58A.014: Bonus residential floor area for affordable housing
- SMC 23.45.516: Additional height and extra residential floor area in Midrise and Highrise zones
- SMC 23.45.510: Floor area ratio (FAR) in Midrise and Highrise zones
- SMC 23.45.514: Structure height in Midrise and Highrise zones
For more information contact Laura Hewitt Walker, (206) 684-0429.
Dravus
Zones: SM/D/40-85
Extra floor area: Height above base limit for the area
Performance option:
- Amount: Housing affordable to/occupied by low-income households must equal to 17.5% of 80% of the gross residential floor area of all stories on the lot wholly or in part above the base height limit, or 700 square feet, whichever is greater.
- Income limits: 80% AMI for rental and 100% AMI for owner-occupied units.
- Affordability term: 50 years beginning at issuance of final certificate of occupancy for the project using the bonus.
- Agreement between housing owner and City must be executed and recorded prior to issuance of building permit for the housing.
Payment option:
- Amount: $18.94 per net square foot of bonus floor area.
- Timing: Cash payments must be paid prior to issuance, and as a condition to issuance, of any building permit after the first building permit for the development, and before any permit is issued for construction activity other than excavation and shoring.
- Location: Housing funded with cash contributions will be prioritized in the general area of the development.
Code references:
For more information contact Laura Hewitt Walker, (206) 684-0429.
Applying for Bonus Funding
Cash contributions by commercial developers for affordable housing are made available through the Office of Housing’s Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) program.
For more information, contact:
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