Meanwhile in Vienna, Austria, the 60% of residents who live in social housing have no such worries. They’ll never have to pay more than 20% to 25% of their income in rent, thanks to city regulation. That’s a stark contrast to Seattle, where over 42% of renter households are cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income in rent. Vienna’s commitment to affordable social housing was first won by left-wing movements in the early 20th century and financed through progressive taxation. It’s still benefiting residents today.
Could Seattle move in this direction? To get an ambitious social housing agenda off the ground, much depends on our next mayor. I asked
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