on Jan 30, 2026

New Strategies for Affordable Housing in King County: HR&A’s White Paper with Imagine Housing

In a recent Seattle Times op-ed, leaders from Amazon (David Zapolsky) and Microsoft (Brad Smith) called for regulatory reforms to reduce barriers to new housing construction in Puget Sound. Their message reflects a shared reality across high-cost regions: without faster approvals, clearer rules, and more land available for housing, affordability will continue to erode.

 

HR&A Advisors is proud to have helped Amazon launch the $3.6B Housing Fund, a commitment to produce and preserve 35,000 affordable homes across Puget Sound, greater Washington, D.C., and Nashville. Extending this effort, HR&A’s recently co-authored a white paper with Imagine Housing showing how regulatory reforms paired with low-cost capital could enable mixed-income housing on land owned by faith communities in King County’s Eastside.

 

Addressing the housing shortage requires coordinated action, expanded access to land, and sustained commitment to implementation. HR&A remains committed to supporting partners advancing solutions that help communities build more homes and strengthen long-term affordability.

 

Read the full op-ed here.

Explore HR&A’s Imagine Housing Soft Sites Analysis here.