Bothell council was scheduled to get a briefing on an increase in proposed housing units and an affordability gap

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the Sept. 9, 2025 City Council meeting, the agenda listed a Development Activity Update as a staff briefing under the City Manager Report ¹. The staff briefing materials say no action was requested and describe current development activity, drawing on the attached 2024 Development Services Annual Report at pages 8-30 ¹. The briefing states that since January 2025, approximately 1,000 residential units have been proposed through the pre-application process, and that the types of housing being constructed generally will not count toward the city's 0-80% AMI requirement of 9,550 units ¹. It also states that of 102 residential units issued certificates of occupancy this year, none have deed restrictions for specific affordability requirements, and all are counted as market rate ¹. The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.

• The Sept. 9, 2025 City Council agenda listed a Development Activity Update as a staff briefing under the City Manager Report; no action was requested ¹.
• The briefing materials state that since January 2025, approximately 1,000 residential units have been proposed through the pre-application process ¹.
• The briefing materials state that housing being constructed generally will not count toward the city's 0-80% AMI requirement of 9,550 units, and that none of the 102 units issued certificates of occupancy this year have affordability deed restrictions ¹.

Why it matters

The briefing materials show a large proposed residential pipeline alongside a shortage of income-restricted units: about 1,000 units proposed through pre-application since January 2025, while the city's 20-year target includes 9,550 units at 0-80% AMI and the 102 units completed this year are market rate ¹. Analysis: that gap matters to residents because new construction can add homes without adding the below-market homes the city's housing target depends on.

What changed / what's next

• No action was requested; the item was a staff briefing, not a vote. The record does not establish whether the briefing was delivered or any council direction ¹.
• The packet includes the staff briefing and the 2024 Development Services Annual Report, but not minutes for the Sept. 9 meeting, so the meeting outcome and any council direction are not established ¹.