Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has unveiled a new proposal to create an $80 million “anti-gentrification and reparations fund” as part of his upcoming 2026 budget, a move he claims is aimed at countering decades of discriminatory housing practices such as redlining and racial covenants.
The initiative, which still requires City Council approval, would provide down-payment assistance and housing support for families impacted by historic housing discrimination. Harrell pitched the plan as essential to confronting Seattle’s affordability crisis.
“We have to recognize some realities about this city,” Harrell said. “We have to acknowledge how unaffordable Seattle has become.”…