Housing Crisis Information
What Is Affordable Housing, Really?
By Judy Naegeli
When you hear the term “affordable housing,” what do you think of? Many might think of extremely poor people in public tenement housing. Maybe they have additional conditions like addiction or mental illness. Many might think of high crime rates or violence.
At one time, these ideas might have been an accurate vision of affordable housing projects, but in 2025 in King County, my salary qualifies for affordable housing, and I am a gainfully employed communications manager at a professional trade association.
“Affordable housing” is a technical term. It describes an overarching system of subsidized or tax-incentivized rental rates based on income. Other terms, such as “Low-Income Housing” and “Multi-Family Housing Property Tax Exemption (MFTE)” fall into this system as well. Here’s how it works:
Affordable housing units are assigned a percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI) as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—commonly 80%, 50%, or 30%—and then assigned a rent price that equals around 30% of the renter’s household AMI percentage bracket.
Let’s do some math.
The 2025 AMI in the Seattle-Bellevue HUD Metro Area (including King and Snohomish Counties) is $106,062 for a single person. A single person making 80% AMI would have an income of $84,850 and be eligible to rent a subsidized 1-bedroom apartment at $2,272.
Single person Household of 4
King County AMI $109,970 $157,100
80% AMI $87,976 $125,680
50% AMI $54,985 $78,550
Subsidized rent for 80% $2,357 (1 bd) $3,268 (3 bd)
Subsidized rent for 50% $1,473 (1 bd) $2,042 (3 bd)
If these numbers seem high to you, that’s because they are. King County has the highest AMI in Washington State. But housing prices have far outpaced salaries.
Here’s a list of jobs in King County that earn around $87,000 (80% AMI):
• Public Health Nurse
• Retail Store Manager
• Accountant
• Corrections Officer
All of these people, whom we can agree are doing valuable work in our communities, would qualify for subsidized housing in King County, if single. Here are some more:
• A first-year public school teacher in King County makes around $70,000 annually, which is 65% AMI.
• Early-career firefighters in King County make 65%–70% (~$74,000)
• A garbage collector makes 50% AMI (~$51,000)
The problem of housing affordability is not just a question of poverty. Professional people are priced out of the housing market every day. And because housing prices continue to rise, more and more people will need help to afford to live where they work.
And what about people experiencing actual poverty? Thousands of people in King County are one crisis away from losing their housing, whether it be a medical emergency, a car accident, or a layoff.
So now I will ask again, when you hear the term “affordable housing,” what do you think of? Is there a recently graduated college student in your family that has to live with multiple roommates or even move back in with parents? Do you know someone divorced who sold a home and now can’t afford to live in the same school district? Or a family that moved for one job, and a second job is not forthcoming?
The Faith Church Housing Workforce formed this fall to advocate for more housing and more affordable housing in Sammamish and Issaquah. Currently there are not nearly enough affordable units in King County to accommodate everyone who qualifies for subsidized housing. Our vision is that our advocacy and partnerships with other organizations will actively keep the poorest among us from becoming homeless and help them live lives of security and dignity.
If you would like to join the group or learn more, contact Judy Naegeli.
By Judy Naegeli
When you hear the term “affordable housing,” what do you think of? Many might think of extremely poor people in public tenement housing. Maybe they have additional conditions like addiction or mental illness. Many might think of high crime rates or violence.
At one time, these ideas might have been an accurate vision of affordable housing projects, but in 2025 in King County, my salary qualifies for affordable housing, and I am a gainfully employed communications manager at a professional trade association.
“Affordable housing” is a technical term. It describes an overarching system of subsidized or tax-incentivized rental rates based on income. Other terms, such as “Low-Income Housing” and “Multi-Family Housing Property Tax Exemption (MFTE)” fall into this system as well. Here’s how it works:
Affordable housing units are assigned a percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI) as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—commonly 80%, 50%, or 30%—and then assigned a rent price that equals around 30% of the renter’s household AMI percentage bracket.
Let’s do some math.
The 2025 AMI in the Seattle-Bellevue HUD Metro Area (including King and Snohomish Counties) is $106,062 for a single person. A single person making 80% AMI would have an income of $84,850 and be eligible to rent a subsidized 1-bedroom apartment at $2,272.
Single person Household of 4
King County AMI $109,970 $157,100
80% AMI $87,976 $125,680
50% AMI $54,985 $78,550
Subsidized rent for 80% $2,357 (1 bd) $3,268 (3 bd)
Subsidized rent for 50% $1,473 (1 bd) $2,042 (3 bd)
If these numbers seem high to you, that’s because they are. King County has the highest AMI in Washington State. But housing prices have far outpaced salaries.
Here’s a list of jobs in King County that earn around $87,000 (80% AMI):
• Public Health Nurse
• Retail Store Manager
• Accountant
• Corrections Officer
All of these people, whom we can agree are doing valuable work in our communities, would qualify for subsidized housing in King County, if single. Here are some more:
• A first-year public school teacher in King County makes around $70,000 annually, which is 65% AMI.
• Early-career firefighters in King County make 65%–70% (~$74,000)
• A garbage collector makes 50% AMI (~$51,000)
The problem of housing affordability is not just a question of poverty. Professional people are priced out of the housing market every day. And because housing prices continue to rise, more and more people will need help to afford to live where they work.
And what about people experiencing actual poverty? Thousands of people in King County are one crisis away from losing their housing, whether it be a medical emergency, a car accident, or a layoff.
So now I will ask again, when you hear the term “affordable housing,” what do you think of? Is there a recently graduated college student in your family that has to live with multiple roommates or even move back in with parents? Do you know someone divorced who sold a home and now can’t afford to live in the same school district? Or a family that moved for one job, and a second job is not forthcoming?
The Faith Church Housing Workforce formed this fall to advocate for more housing and more affordable housing in Sammamish and Issaquah. Currently there are not nearly enough affordable units in King County to accommodate everyone who qualifies for subsidized housing. Our vision is that our advocacy and partnerships with other organizations will actively keep the poorest among us from becoming homeless and help them live lives of security and dignity.
If you would like to join the group or learn more, contact Judy Naegeli.