Social Housing
—Policy that unlocks additional funding—
—New government starts to organize—
Report on March 2025, SSH board meeting. By Jesse A. James (March 29, 2025)
The Seattle Social Housing (SSH) board had a busy March meeting, even extending 20 minutes, due to an added executive session at the end.
Despite the uptick in momentum, a revised budget was not ready to be put to a vote this session. The SSH are, however, currently looking to hire some staff, including a real estate development director, a chief financial officer, a community outreach program manager, an executive assistant and even a social media consultant.
Recently appointed Treasurer Kayellen Zimmerman started the meeting fully masked, even though she was by herself and attending the WebEx teleconference. She stood out less this session; mostly remaining in the background unless addressed. (I covered the treasurer situation in my previous report.) Even though it appears Zimmerman is struggling with her new role, it was later revealed why there was no budget ready for vote this month. Kaileah Baldwin, the vice chair, stepping up to fill some of Zimmerman’s duties, left an important capital projects line item blank because she didn’t know how to do it. Baldwin said she would seek out assistance from CEO Roberto Jiménez for, “that stuff”.
Baldwin did read aloud the report from the Seattle Renters Commission (SRC). This came with their new appointments to this board. The SRC reappointed Kayellen Zimmerman, as well as filling a vacant seat with ChrisTiana ObeySumner — who is CEO of the "consulting team" Epiphanies of Equity. According to their bio, “ObeySumner (They/ Them) is a Black, queer, non-binary, and multiply disabled researcher, thought leader, storyteller, and activist.” A core value of Epiphanies of Equity is "anti-capitalist politics."
The SRC also appointed Ryan Driscoll, an organizer with 350 Seattle. This group is, “moving beyond climate pledges” and “wants healthy lungs, accessible public transportation, thriving neighborhoods powered by renewable energy, where everyone can afford their bills and everyone gets to be well.”
Driscoll will move into his role in May; while ObeySumner’s seat became hers shortly after the meeting.
According to Article VII(3) of the SSH charter, the group “El Centro De La Raza shall appoint the first member to fill [a board] position. The Board shall select replacements for this position after a public call for self-nominations.”
There were three candidates for this open position. Each gave a statement.
Cliff Cawthon, is the current homeownership policy manager at the Department of Commerce, a political science professor at Bellevue College and a 2021 candidate for Kent city council. The former Seattleite sounds unhappy about being “pushed out” of town. He now resides in the city of Kent.
Cawthon co-authored an OpEd in 2020, which captures the dominant political sentiments of that explosive summer, “Defund the inefficient and deadly police infrastructure, and invest in a shared vision of community safety and investment in our community that actually works. This must be our north star.” Considering the public safety / health crisis resulting from policies enacted in the heat of the 2020 summer, most sextants are no longer set on that point in the heavens.
Cawthon’s candidate statement to the SSH board focused mainly on his experience in housing and racial justice, and his former seat on Seattle Renter’s Commission.
The next speaker was written on the agenda as “Nickelsville”, but the speaker’s name is Andrew, representing Nickelsville; an organization who specialize in tiny houses. If you don't know, their name is a prank on former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels (2002-2010) and the notorious "Hoovervilles" of the 1930s economic depression. Andrew pitched his group’s program.
The final candidate was Amari Ayomide, who identifies as non-binary (they/them), represented the organization, Queer the Land. This group states, “The general membership level is open to anyone who has grown up, identifies and lives as a queer, trans, & 2spirit Black / indigenous / person of color. Non-QT2BIPOC are welcome to join as Allied Community Supporters.” This is a practicing collective which is supported, in part, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Queer the Land organizes under the principle of, ”to each according to need, from each according to ability.”
When the statements were said and done, and it became time to vote, Cliff was victorious with a close one-vote victory! He received the votes of board members Wylie, Katie, Karen, Tom, and Julie. Ayomide came in second, their four votes coming from Kay, Kaileah, Devin, and Mike. Andrew ‘Nickelsville’, sadly, didn’t receive any votes.
Then it was time for reviewing the developing strategic plan.
Amy Besunder has worked with SSH for the last year and a half. She helped hire the CEO. Besunder gave a presentation of the draft strategic plan for 2025 to 2028. Listening to the presentation, this plan seems more SOCIAL than HOUSING.
Besunder says the strategic vision comes from CEO Jiménez, along with the board, stakeholders and community partners. The strategic plan has four pillars / goals. Besunder called the “North Star” or “heart” of their plan as prioritizing the, “needs, voices and diverse preferences of their residents.” I can understand why she can't get specific about these residents because, at this point, there are none. Nevertheless, Besunder repeatedly refers to, “our community”; which I assume to reflect the ever-expanding alphabet of names and acronyms for the identity politics permeating the two meetings I have attended so far.
SSH seeks to build housing, so it’s fitting their goals are presented as “pillars”.
Pillar 1 addressses securing property. SSH wants to obtain one property in 2025 and two additional in 2026. The goal is the create 380 homes per year once fully funded. There was also mention of building a roster of developers, real estate purchasers and other ways to acquire property.
Pillar 2 Article III of the SSH charter establishes its own government as a, “public corporation organized under said State and local laws, it is a political subdivision of the State with an area of operation limited to the City of Seattle.” Article IV of the charter establishes this new government forever. Pillar 2 is about organizing the new government and seeks to ensure having the right people in place to support organizational growth. There will be a three year staffing plan, policies that support long term staff well being, and an onboarding process.
Pillar 3 regards forging connections and build community. This goal seeks to foster the residence governance council as outlined in the charter. There should also be “resident well being committees.” This pillar also wants to build support with external partners like labor, policy makers and major employers to “strengthen advocacy and support social housing”. In other words, this pillar will support social housing evangelists to sing the praises of their new independent government.
Pillar 4 is obviously most important, as it’s about 💵money💰. While there is the projected $52 million a year from the excessive compensation tax, SSH is looking for more finances. The plan seeks to build a financial foundation and long term sustainability. They want to use a 501c3 to expand fundraising capacity and opportunities that they claim will, complement instead of compete with existing affordable housing sources. Saying this is important considering the constellation of government funded non-profits operating in Seattle. SSH is the new pet of the activist left and this creature will need care and feeding — especially through any recession and shrinking tax revenue.
Also with Pillar 4, Besunder said SSH wants to build “Partnerships which influence policy that unlocks additional funding for social housing.” This is a careful way to say, we want more taxes to fund our community / new government.
Besunder wrapped up her presentation by informing the group how next month will be a listening tour to help shape the final strategic plan. She said the tour will, “include folks who fit the resident profile that we expect to serve”, public officials and others. The resident profile was eventually alluded to as a, “peer group representative of the folks we’re going to serve in our housing.”
It sounds like the SSH wants to be a government of, by and for identity politics. That said, it was kind of reassuring to hear the board discuss the strategic plan with one member stressing the SSH should be a, “big tent”. I will add that the SSH charter says, “The Public Developer should use a lottery-based, minimal barrier application process…”
It remains to be seen what kind of leadership the constituency of the new, independent social democracy elects. All the same, this constituency will have won the lottery of price controlled rent, financed to the tune of an excessive compensation tax! Gauging by the strategic plan, there could be even more taxes coming to fund the social housing authority.
The board then went into a closed, executive session so I logged off the teleconference. See you next month!
Jesse A. James lives in Seattle. He serves on Cascade Party board of directors in position 7/9. He has run for US House in the 7th CD. James is also a Rock musician.
(Image: Alamy)
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