Some Good News

Because it's needed.

The news this week has been a bit bleak, and there is so much I didn’t get to. So I thought I’d highlight four brighter spots as we head into the weekend:

Relief May Be Coming in The U District

A rare public restroom and a bunch of affordable housing are in the works on a Sound Transit surplus property near the U District light rail station. The project includes 160 low-income homes, a public facing restroom, and an urban rest stop with free showers, laundry, and other hygiene services. Because the hygiene stop will likely be staffed, the loos might get regular cleanings, which is the gold standard for good public restrooms. Local leaders from the residential and business community praised the plan.

Eastside Light Rail

Eastlink opens this weekend with service at eight stations from Redmond Technology Center to South Bellevue. The line was supposed to come to Seattle by now, but has been delayed because of construction issues related to crossing Lake Washington. King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, who is the GOAT of Sound Transit Board Members, convinced the agency to open up the Eastside early. If you remember the joy of Sound Transit’s arrival here, you can imagine theirs. And soon we’ll be connected! 

Housing Supply Matters

Prices for rentals in Austin are diving. The tech town, which has been a hot destination, has seen a massive surge in new homes hitting the market. As a result of rapid supply gains, and a subsequent significant increase in vacancy rates, Austin rents dropped by 12.5% in December. Just your regular reminder that housing supply affects prices and that we could do better if we wanted to.

Biden Boosts Competition in Employment Markets

The Biden Administration binned non-competes this week via a rule issued by the FTC. Right now, approximately 30 million Americans are subject to noncompetes. Although there are some carve-outs, this ban creates more competition among companies when they are shopping for labor. 

Unsurprisingly, the Chamber of Commerce opposes competitive markets, preferring the rigged type, and is suing the FTC. 

Washington state set some limits on noncompetes a few years ago, but still allowed them for employees earning $100,000 or more, or independent contractors earning $250,000+. Given that the median pay in Seattle is so high, this will make a huge difference for many of our neighbors.