Kenmore housing plan ranks MFTE and inclusionary zoning for Downtown as immediate priority

What the records say

Kenmore's Housing Strategy Plan identifies a "Calibrated MFTE + Inclusionary Zoning Package for Downtown and TOD Areas" as one of four near-term priority actions, with "Immediate" scheduling, according to materials published ahead of the Sept. 1, 2026 meeting. In the plan's priority table, the package is rated "Very Good" for both effectiveness and alignment, with moderate cost, medium-to-long implementation time, and moderate-to-high staff capacity needs. ¹

MFTE stands for Multifamily Tax Exemption, a property-tax break offered to developers who reserve some units for lower-income renters; inclusionary zoning would require new projects to include affordable units. That explanation of the terms is analysis, not wording found in the record. The plan's rating process weighs six indicators — cost, staff capacity, effectiveness, alignment, time required, and scheduling — and the record notes that effectiveness ratings give greater weight to units serving households at 0–80% of the area median income, because the market can usually deliver higher-priced housing without city help. ¹

The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.

• The MFTE + inclusionary zoning package for Downtown and TOD areas is ranked as an immediate-priority action in Kenmore's housing strategy, rated Very Good for effectiveness and alignment. ¹
• The priority assessment uses six indicators — cost, staff capacity, effectiveness, alignment, time required, and scheduling — and effectiveness gives greater weight to units for households at 0–80% of the area median income. ¹
• Other housing actions, including a permit-ready ADU catalogue, a tenant/homeowner resource hub, and coordinated home repair support, are deferred to the 2029–2030 tier. The record notes the ADU catalogue and resource hub are leading candidates to move ahead of that tier if outside funding or a multi-jurisdictional partnership becomes available, or if near-term projects are delayed. ¹

Why it matters

The package matters to residents because it directly targets the housing the city identifies as hardest to build: units affordable to households earning up to 80% of the area median income. If advanced, the MFTE and inclusionary zoning rules could shape what gets built in Downtown Kenmore and near transit stops, and how much of it stays affordable. Because it is ranked as an immediate priority, it sits ahead of deferred items such as a permit-ready ADU catalogue and a tenant/homeowner resource hub, which are listed for later action unless outside funding or a partnership becomes available. ¹

What changed / what's next

• The published housing strategy ranks the MFTE + inclusionary zoning package for Downtown and TOD areas as an immediate-priority action with Moderate cost, Very Good effectiveness, and Very Good alignment ratings. ¹
• The available records do not establish the outcome of the Sept. 1 meeting or whether the package will be advanced. ¹
• The record says a deferred action may move onto the active work program if a near-term action is substantially completed, if a grant or partner commitment helps cover costs, or if the 2029 periodic review identifies gaps that require Council re-prioritization. ¹
• The packet identifies target AMI bands for the package (30–80% AMI, with calibration near 50% for rental and 80% for ownership) but does not specify final set-aside percentages or exemption amounts, which the plan says would be set through a feasibility study. ¹