Redmond's new affordable housing project faces backlash from citizens

REDMOND, Wash. — A new plan to help solve a housing crisis and provide more affordable housing in Redmond is getting the cold shoulder from many of its citizens.

So many people were angry about this new housing project and how some say it was secretly pushed through, packed a city council meeting, and sent dozens of emails to KOMO News, so we took their questions to Mayor Angela Birney.

The first one is why the rush?

“Exchange of property for something like this is always very quick,” said Mayor Birney.

Mayor Birney explained that the city had to buy the lot back in 2019 for light rail to come through. That project is only using a portion of the property, so the city planned all along to add housing on the rest of it. The new apartment building would be built close to a new light rail station on Cleveland Street.

RELATED: Redmond neighbors protest city's decision to add affordable housing for homeless people

Next question: why did the city council vote without listening to public comment?

“There will be opportunities for the community to get feedback on that as well. And we'll also reach out to the businesses and individuals around there as well,” answered the mayor.

The city council voted to move forward on a new partnership with Plymouth Housing and A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), to add new housing for the homeless.

But community members, recalling the crime they witnessed when the city had an 18-bed shelter, tell KOMO they worry about a surge in crime with a new, larger complex to house people.

“This is a 100-unit apartment building. I would expect five times the amount of crime,” said Al Rosenthal, who owns commercial property in Redmond.

KOMO News asked Mayor Birney if the new project would take 100 homeless people off the streets of Redmond.

“It could. It could also be individuals who are feeling some stress with their housing security,” answered Mayor Birney. She said the new 100-unit building would be for people who earn zero to 30% of the median income in Redmond.

“A lot of people are feeling that stress, and for some of these community members, they’ll be targeting people with disabilities who are seniors, who are kind of either homeless or on the edge of homelessness and provide a very stable housing unit for them to live in,” said Mayor Birney.

“If you’re giving free housing to people that are homeless and have no job and our drug addicted that definitely causes a crime problem,” said Rosenthal. The mayor countered, saying, “We already have many of these types of housing in our community. We still live in a very safe community.”

The city told KOMO News the new building would offer services that normally come with permanent supportive housing, and things as job training, education, and health services.

Another big question is the money coming from this building, $3.2 million. The mayor said they are fortunate that the city council set aside $10 million last year, so this will remove a sizable chunk of that money to help house people.