Affordable Housing

With the cost of renting or owning housing in Bellevue rising faster than income for many in the region, housing is not affordable to a significant portion of the population. The City Council recognizes that it is critically important to provide a safe, healthy and affordable place to live for people of all income levels to sustain Bellevue’s livability and economic vitality.

The city works to facilitate affordable housing with a program that includes an affordable housing strategy adopted in 2017. This program supports a healthy housing market in the city that:

• Provides affordability across a range of incomes mirroring our population and workforce;
• Provides a variety of affordable housing choices that meet the needs of our community including:
  • Young persons in college or just entering the job market;
  • First-time home buyers or new employees who are ready to purchase a home;
  • Our aging population, especially those on fixed/limited income, who wish to remain in the community; and
  • Families that want to keep their children in Bellevue schools.
• Preserves the integrity of single-family areas while considering, through the neighborhood planning process, housing that can accommodate a wider spectrum of needs, and foster ongoing investments by individual homeowners.