Mosqueda announces new permitting priority to fast-track childcare, affordable housing projects

October 17, 2024

King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda this week announced that childcare and affordable housing projects will be able to move forward faster and with lower costs thanks to new prioritizations in the King County permitting process for these kinds of applications.

King County’s Department of Local Services recently added childcare and affordable housing to its list of priority projects, meaning these receive priority review at Permitting Division. This can help projects get approved faster thus lowering costs and helping these vital projects get up and running ASAP.

“Access to affordable housing and childcare are the building blocks of healthy development for our kiddos, economic stability for families, and long-term resilience of our local economy,” Mosqueda said. “We need to use every tool at our disposal to bring more affordable housing and childcare online as quickly as possible to meet the needs of our community — and this includes removing barriers that add time and cost within our own County code and processes. I’m thrilled that affordable housing and childcare will be prioritized in the County’s permitting process. This will reduce the time of permit turnaround and thus help reduce the costs of delivering these projects. Thank you to Local Services Director Richardson and the Permitting Division for your partnership and commitment to serving the greatest needs in our King County communities.”

Mosqueda has pushed since her election to the County Council for these projects to be added to the priority list of projects as childcare and affordable housing are so desperately needed in the region.

She worked with Local Services Director Leon Richardson to get the prioritizations added as quickly as possible.

“Prioritizing affordable housing and childcare in the permitting process helps ensure these services are delivered to our communities,” Richardson said. “This reflects our commitment to addressing urgent needs and creating a more equitable future for all residents. I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff in permitting whose efforts have made this possible.”

When projects apply for permits, most are reviewed in the order they are received, but those that are on the priority list get bumped up so they can move forward – or correct issues with applications – as quickly as possible.

“White Center Community Development Association is excited about King County’s commitment to prioritizing affordable housing and childcare in the permitting process,” said Aaron Garcia, executive director or the White Center Community Development Association. “This decision aligns with our vision of holistic system change policy, supporting the White Center community from cradle to career by removing barriers and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.”

A host of other projects also receive priority, including critical services such as fire stations, utility upgrades and crisis care clinics, disaster repair, schools, fish passage and more.

“Childcare is essential to our economy and we need more places to provide care,” said Tricia Schroeder, president, SEIU 925. “We appreciate King County’s leadership in streamlining barriers to opening more childcare facilities.”