Renting in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore - Seattle Times wants to hear your stories
Monday, August 26, 2013
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| Use the link to take you to the map. Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore are across the top. |
By Diane Hettrick
A 30-something tech worker hit the perfect storm last year. His roommate lost her job and moved home to her parents, and his landlord boosted the rent. Unable to afford to live in Shoreline, he moved to an apartment building across the fence in Snohomish county.
Affordable housing is a confusing term because two distinct groups use it for different meanings. To the housing industry, "affordable" means that someone who is employed full-time can afford to rent or buy. The example often given is that of a single, first year teacher.
However, to the social services community, "affordable" is a euphemism for low-cost - something that a family on assistance can afford. "Low-income housing" has a stigma they would like to move beyond.
So how affordable are the rents in our area? The tech worker researched rentals throughout Shoreline and found that all he could afford would be a small, one-room unit in a large building.
The Seattle Times published a story about wide-spread rent increases throughout their coverage area. (Soaring rents force lifestyle changes.) They want to hear stories from people about how their rent has changed over time.
Here's the link to an interactive map. Choose the city and tell your story. You will need to grab the map with your cursor and drag it down so you can see Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore.
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2 comments:
I want to talk about the many people I have been talking to that own/buying their homes and cannot afford it anymore. The property taxes are killing us. When the vote went out to incorporate Shoreline several of us on this street voted no, because we knew we would be taxed right out of Shoreline. Some of us are almost retired and some are younger with kids. One neighbor just moved out and is selling, another who is a single mom is short-selling because the taxes put her over the edge. Shoreline officials NEED a serious wake up call. Bringing in federally funded low income housing and rehab clinics are not the answer.
We moved to Shoreline in 2003 because the rent was $400 cheaper than our Seattle rental. I guess times have changed. Anyways, we have really enjoyed the Shoreline community.
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