Tye Reed, co-founder of House Our Neighbors, recently appeared on The Day With Trae to discuss with Trae Holiday regarding the organization's work on social housing in Seattle. Reed, who has been involved in anti-sweeps activism and working with homeless folks for many years, explained that House Our Neighbors began as a coalition of organizations opposed to Compassion Seattle, a 2021 charter amendment that would have codified sweeps.

After successfully defeating Compassion Seattle in court, House Our Neighbors shifted its focus to promoting social housing. In 2023, the organization spearheaded Initiative 135, which created the social housing developer. This year, they're backing Initiative 137, which aims to fund the developer through an excess compensation tax on businesses.

Reed emphasized that social housing is not intended to compete with low-income housing but rather to address the government's inadequate housing plan. The goal is to create permanently government-owned housing with capped rents, ensuring affordability for a wider range of incomes. Reed envisions future social housing developments featuring amenities like health centers, daycares, and community gardens.

To gather community input and educate the public about social housing, House Our Neighbors is hosting a series of listening posts. The first session will be held on August 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Washington Hall. Reed encourages everyone, including skeptics, to attend and share their feedback.

For more information, visit www.houseourneighbors.org.

Tune in with Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.