SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has signed an executive order aimed at accelerating housing construction by reducing permitting delays and creating a new task force to recommend additional housing policies.
The order, Executive Order 2026-4, includes several immediate steps intended to make the city’s permitting process faster and more predictable for developers building both affordable and market-rate housing.
“Housing that people can afford is critical to a city that works for everyone,” Mayor Wilson said Wednesday. “This Executive Order is about clearing the path, cutting the delays, and building the housing Seattle needs.”
Immediate Actions
The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections will provide additional support for low-income housing developers navigating the permitting process. City departments involved in housing projects, including Seattle City Light, the Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department, and Seattle Public Utilities, will each designate a primary contact to help resolve permitting issues.
The mayor’s office also plans to propose funding for an Affordable Housing Ombuds position in the 2027-28 budget and launch a new interdepartmental team focused on shortening permit timelines.
New Housing Task Force
The executive order also creates a Housing Production Task Force made up of representatives from labor groups, affordable housing organizations, community groups, and private developers.
The task force will study ways to increase housing production, preserve existing affordable housing, support homeownership, reduce displacement, and improve housing options for lower-income residents.
Its work will also include recommendations on Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program, design review processes, permanent supportive housing, and strategies to encourage new development.
The task force is expected to provide initial policy recommendations by February 2027 and final recommendations for 2028 and 2029 by September 2027.
City officials say the effort will build on ongoing housing and anti-displacement initiatives already underway, as Seattle continues to grapple with housing affordability challenges and a growing demand for new homes.