Seattle, Washington, Proposition 1A and 1B, Funding Source for Social Housing Developer Measure (February 2025)

Seattle Proposition 1A and 1B
Election date February 11, 2025
Topic City tax and Local housing policy
Status Approved
Type Initiative

Seattle Proposition 1A and 1B was on the ballot as an initiative in Seattle on February 11, 2025. It was approved. Proposition 1A was a citizen-initiated measure, Initiative 137, and the Seattle City Council referred Proposition 1B to the ballot as an alternative measure. Voters approved Proposition 1A.

Voters first decided on Question 1, which asked whether to use revenue from taxes on payroll expenses in order to fund the development and maintenance of social housing in Seattle. Voters then decided on Question 2, which asked voters to choose between Proposition 1A (Initiative 137) and Proposition 1B (City Ordinance 127101).

Question 1

A "yes" vote supported using revenue from taxes on payroll expenses in order to fund the development and maintenance of social housing in Seattle—either by:  establishing a new tax of 5% on annual compensation above $1,000,000 paid in Seattle to any employee, as proposed by Proposition 1A (Initiative 137), or using existing payroll expense tax revenues to allocate $10,000,000 from the next five annual budgets, as proposed by Proposition 1B (City Ordinance 127101).

A "no" vote opposed using revenue from taxes on payroll expenses in order to fund the development and maintenance of social housing in Seattle.

Question 2

Voting for "Proposition 1A" supported implementing Initiative 137, which was designed to establish a new tax of 5% on annual compensation above $1,000,000 paid in Seattle to any employee in order to fund social housing

Voting for "Proposition 1B" supported implementing the city council's proposed alternative measure, which was designed to use existing payroll expense tax revenues to allocate $10,000,000 from the next five annual budgets

Question 1 required a simple majority for approval, while Question 2 required the highest amount of votes for approval.

Election results

Below, "Yes" votes corresponds to votes for "Either" and "No" votes correspond to votes for "Neither."

Seattle Proposition 1A and 1B
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		137,857	72.99%
No		51,010	27.01%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Seattle Proposition Nos. 1A and 1B
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Proposition 1A		112,126	63.13%%
d Proposition 1B		65,497	36.87%%

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 1A and 1B was as follows:

“

City of Seattle Proposition Nos. 1A and 1B Proposition 1A (submitted by Initiative Petition No. 137) and Proposition 1B (alternative proposed by the Seattle Council and Mayor) concern payroll expense tax funding for the Social Housing Developer. Proposition 1A would impose a tax on payroll expenses for employers doing business in Seattle. The tax rate would be 5% on annual compensation above $1,000,000 paid in Seattle to any employee. Proceeds would support the Social Housing Developer, a public development authority created to develop, own, and maintain social housing in Seattle. The tax imposed would be in addition to the City’s payroll expense tax levied under Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 5.38. As an alternative, the Seattle City Council and Mayor have proposed Proposition 1B (Ordinance 127101), which would allocate $10,000,000 of existing payroll expense tax revenues from the next five annual budgets to fund the Social Housing Developer. Proceeds would support the acquisition and development of social housing in Seattle. The Developer would have to apply and meet certain conditions as determined by the City before the award of funds. If no allocated funds are awarded within three years of their initial allocation, they would be available to support other affordable housing projects. 1. Should either of these measures be enacted into law? Yes No 2. Regardless of whether you voted yes or no above, if one of these measures is enacted, which one should it be? Proposition 1A Proposition 1B

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Measure design

Proposition 1A

The measure was designed to establish an additional tax on payroll expenses for employers doing business in Seattle, in addition to the existing payroll expense tax as of 2025. Under the measure, the tax rate would be 5% on annual compensation above $1,000,000 paid in Seattle to any employee, and any revenue from the tax would go to fund the Social Housing Developer, a public development authority created to develop and maintain social housing in Seattle.

Proposition 1B

The proposed alternative was designed to amend the existing payroll expense tax to allocate $10,000,000 of revenues from the next five annual budgets in order to fund the Social Housing Developer, a public development authority created to develop and maintain social housing in Seattle. Under the proposal, the Developer would have to apply and meet certain conditions determined by the city before awarded funds. Under the proposal, if no allocated funds were awarded within three years of allocation, they would be available to support other affordable housing projects.

Support for Proposition 1A

Let’s Build Social Housing (Yes on Prop 1A), a committee supported by House Our Neighbors, was leading the campaign in support of Proposal 1A.

Supporters

• AFSCME/WFSE Council 28
• AFSCME/WFSE Local 304
• IBEW 46
• MLK Labor
• Seattle Education Association
• Seattle's Building Trades Unions
• UAW 4121
• UFCW 3000
• Washington Working Families Party
• Washington Community Action Network
• Tenants Union of Washington State
• Transit Riders Union
• Seattle Green Party
• Seattle Democratic Socialists of America
• Faith Action Network

Officials

• State Sen. Rebecca Saldana (D)
• State Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D)
• State Rep. Frank Chopp (D)
• State Rep. Darya Farivar (D)
• State Rep. Nicole Macri (D)
• State Rep. Julia Reed (D)
• State Rep. Shaun Scott (D)
• Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck

Arguments

• Let's Build Social Housing said, "Employers who purchase the labor of highly compensated workers above a $1 million in total compensation will pay a 5% marginal tax. Employers pay the social housing payroll tax, not employees. The money from the excess compensation tax can be used to construct and acquire buildings for social housing, fund operations and maintenance of buildings, and staff up the Seattle Social Housing Developer (SSHD). This initiative will create an annual, dedicated revenue stream for social housing in Seattle. This revenue stream can then be bonded on to accelerate production of social housing."
• The Urbanist Elections Committee said, "Seattle’s housing crisis is daunting, and it warrants both additional resources and thoughtful experimentation with new models of providing that housing. Prop 1A does just that by adding a new tax on the megarich to fund its mixed-income housing creation model. The excess compensation tax would only hit companies who compensate individual employees above $1 million and would generate roughly $53 million per year by taxing the wealthiest businesses who operate in Seattle. That’s enough dedicated revenue to get land acquisition and social housing construction started."

Support for Proposition 1B

Supporters

• Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
• Downtown Seattle Association

Officials

• Councilmember Maritza Rivera
• Councilmember Bob Kettle
• Councilmemer Cathy Moore
• Councilmember Tanya Woo

Arguments

• Councilmember Maritza Rivera said, "[Prop 1B] balances the need for innovation with the need for accountability. It also allows the Seattle Social Housing Developer, a new public development authority, the opportunity to show what they can build here in Seattle. But it won’t give a blank check to another new agency that does not have the experience creating housing."
• John Fox, Alice Woldt, Gary Clark, the Reverend David Bloom, George Howland, Jr. and Joe Martin said, "The council’s alternative is still generous, committing $10 million annually to SSHD but from existing revenue sources and for five years only. In addition, any money that the city appropriates and SSHD does not use within three years would be returned to the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing and made available to all the nonprofits seeking funds for their low-income housing projects. The council’s alternative is a ‘pilot project’, not a cookie jar always open regardless of performance—something far more appropriate for a start-up housing developer."

Path to the ballot

On June 24, 2024, House Our Neighbors submitted 37,819 signatures to Seattle’s Office of the City Clerk to get Initiative 137 on the ballot. The initiative cleared the requirement of 26,521 valid signatures. Initiative 137 was referred to the ballot by the Seattle City Council on September 19, 2024. The Council proposed an alternative, City Ordinance 127101, which was also referred to the ballot. Councilmembers voted 6 to 1 to run an alternative ballot measure against Initiative 137, with Councilmember Tammy Morales voting No.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Washington

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Washington.

How to vote in Washington

Poll times

Washington is an all-mail voting state. Individuals who prefer to vote in person rather than by mail may do so at local voting centers, which are open for 18 days before the election. The voting period ends at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Contact your county elections department for more information on voting center locations and times.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Washington, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the state, and at least 18 years of age. A person must also not be disqualified from voting due to a court order or imprisoned for a felony conviction in Washington, federal prison, or another state. Individuals who are 16 years or older can pre-register to vote.

A person may register to vote online, by mail, or in person at a county elections department or voting center. Registration must be completed eight days in advance if done by mail or online. In-person registration is available through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Washington automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, health benefit exchange, and other state agencies approved by the governor. After the person's information is processed they will receive a confirmation in the mail from the county elections office.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Washington has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Washington allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Washington, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

On November 7, 2023, the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington challenging a provision in the state constitution that requires voters to live in the state for at least 30 days before Election Day. In March 2024, a federal judge approved a consent decree, with the state of Washington agreeing not to enforce the provision.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Washington does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly provides false information or knowingly makes a false declaration about their qualifications "will have committed a class C felony that is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to ten thousand dollars, or both."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Three states, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Vote WA, run by the Washington Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Washington is an all-mail voting state and does not require voters to present photo identification (ID). Voters may choose to vote in person at a local voting center. According to state law, “The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration or provide identification.”

The following list of accepted ID was current as of March 2026. Click here for the Washington State Legislature's voter ID regulations to ensure you have the most current information.

“

The identification must be valid photo identification, such as a driver's license, state identification card, student identification card, tribal identification card, or employer identification card. A tribal identification card is not required to include a residential address or an expiration date to be considered valid under this section. Any individual who desires to vote in person but cannot provide identification shall be issued a provisional ballot, which shall be accepted if the signature on the declaration matches the signature on the voter's registration record.

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2025
• Local housing ballot measures

Washington

• Washington 2025 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Washington
• Seattle, Washington

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas