Everyone should have an opportunity to live in a safe, affordable home. Doubling the voter approved Seattle Housing Levy to $290 million will build and preserve thousands of quality, affordable homes for the most vulnerable families and individuals in our community and for low wage workers. This innovative property tax levy has been approved five times by Seattle voters and is hailed as a national model. The Housing Levy has a 30-year track record of creating affordable housing with services to support at-risk families, seniors and people with disabilities, providing rental assistance to prevent homelessness, and preserving housing to prevent displacement of long-term residents. Seattle is experiencing a major boom in its real estate market. A 0.25 percent tax on real estate transfers could generate roughly $15-25 million each year to build new affordable housing in Seattle. This ensures that a portion of the value generated through rising land prices—in large part created through public investments in sidewalks, parks and transit—is recaptured and used to invest in critical affordable housing. The City will advocate in the state legislature to pass this stable, progressive local funding option that provides a new resource to build needed affordable housing for low-income workers and vulnerable people.