Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson on Thursday announced two executive orders aimed at expanding emergency shelter and affordable housing and improving transit reliability by creating a bus lane along Denny Way, according to the mayor’s office.
Speaking at her transition team meeting, Wilson said the orders are intended to address homelessness while also improving daily transportation for thousands of transit riders.
“Today I am taking immediate action to address our homelessness crisis and improve mobility on a key transit corridor,” Wilson said. “First, I am ordering immediate steps to expand emergency shelter and expedite the construction of affordable housing so we can bring more people inside. I am also directing the Department of Transportation to immediately take steps to implement a bus lane and other transit improvements on Denny Way.”
Expanding shelter and affordable housing
Wilson’s first executive order directs city departments to move faster on adding shelter beds and housing units by cutting through administrative barriers and coordinating efforts across agencies.
Under the order, the city will immediately launch an interdepartmental team to look for ways to speed up development, including financial incentives, permitting changes and other policy adjustments.
The order also prioritizes identifying city-owned and other public land that could be used for temporary or permanent shelter and housing.
City departments are also directed to work with regional partners to find existing shelter programs that can add capacity more quickly and to identify best practices for working with organizations that specialize in behavioral health.
Those partnerships are intended to better support substance use disorder treatment and mental health counseling within shelter and housing programs.
Response from housing and homelessness leaders
Several city and regional leaders praised the housing-focused order, emphasizing the need for speed and coordination.
Tanya Kim, director of the Seattle Human Services Department, said the order reflects the urgency of the situation.
“Every Seattle resident should have safety, dignity, and stability,” Kim said. “Mayor Wilson’s executive order is meeting the urgency of the moment by accelerating the continuum of housing supports from shelter to affordable housing to quickly bring people indoors.”
Seattle City Council member Dionne Foster said the crisis requires cooperation across jurisdictions.
“Our homelessness crisis has taken too many lives and fractured too many communities, and no single agency or jurisdiction can solve it alone,” Foster said, adding that she appreciates the “swift action and expedient timeline” laid out in the order.
Evergreen Treatment Services Vice President of Policy and Strategy Chloe Gale said linking housing with behavioral health care can save lives.
“Most people living outside with substance use problems want to access recovery support but cannot navigate system requirements when struggling to survive night after night,” Gale said.
Housing advocates also emphasized the importance of speeding up construction.
Patience Malaba, executive director of the Housing Development Consortium, called the order a crucial first step toward accelerating affordable housing production.
At the regional level, Dr. Kelly Kinnison, CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, said removing bureaucratic barriers is key to opening shelters faster.
“Every action we take to expedite those steps makes a difference,” Dr. Kinnison said.
Bus lane and transit improvements on Denny Way
The mayor’s second executive order directs the Seattle Department of Transportation to move forward with a dedicated bus lane and other transit improvements along Denny Way, a major east–west corridor.
The order aims to improve on-time performance and reliability for existing riders and to grow transit use by making bus service faster and more dependable, particularly for Route 8, one of the city’s busiest and most delayed lines.
Angela Brady, interim director of SDOT, said the department is ready to begin.
“We’re eager to take this step toward enhancing the reliability and efficiency for the thousands of transit riders counting on Route 8 along Denny Way every day,” Brady said.
Seattle City Council member Alexis Mercedes Rinck said the improvements could make a noticeable difference for working families.
“The 8 is a critical crosstown connection and this action will let Seattle see real solutions which will improve the daily lives of working families,” Rinck said.
Transit advocates have long pushed for a bus lane on the corridor.
Kirk Hovenkotter, executive director of the Transportation Choices Coalition, said riders have waited decades for changes.
“Mayor Wilson has stepped up and answered their call for fast, reliable buses with this executive order,” Hovenkotter said.
Organizers with Fix The L8, Nick Sattele and Jason Li, also praised the move, calling it a long-overdue step to prioritize mobility and climate goals.
Both executive orders take effect immediately, with city departments directed to begin implementation and coordination efforts.
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