The Eastside Housing Roundtable (“EHR”) is a broad coalition comprised of employers, non-profits, business organizations, housing advocates, and private and non-profit housing developers working for housing abundance on the Eastside. In Bellevue, Futurewise staffs the Eastside Housing Roundtable, a cross-sector coalition of local employers, housing providers, and advocacy groups working for shared goals for increased housing in Bellevue, especially following the expansion of the Link Light Rail.
King County’s Eastside is at a key inflection point as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have announced 38,000 new jobs coming to the Eastside in the next 4 years. In 2023 and 2024, 10 new light rail stations will open, connecting the region with downtown Seattle.
Eastside Housing Roundtable highlights:
- In 2022, we were successful in passing legislation that sunsetted local Community Councils that had been an obstacle to new housing in their neighborhoods.
- Futurewise advocated for Bellevue to increase their target for new housing units, and have successfully convinced the city to consider 152,000 new units (up from 27,000) in their comprehensive plan alternatives.
- Futurewise partnered with Eastside for All to host a series of conversations about the history of segregation and exclusion on the Eastside.