Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday, April 19th at the McKinney Center for our Senior Property Tax Exemption Workshop with King County Assessor John Wilson!

This was a powerful session that equipped our homeowners with critical information about property tax relief—one of the most impactful tools for staying in your home as property taxes continue to rise across King County.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ASSESSORS SLIDE PRESENTATION

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📊 WHAT WE LEARNED: THE TAX BURDEN IS REAL

Property taxes in King County are up 10% in 2026:

• Total property tax revenues increased by $770 million countywide
• King County property taxes now total $8.4 billion
• Residential homeowners carry 73.4% of that burden (vs. 26.6% commercial)

Example increases in our BLH service area:

• Seattle: 11.88% increase → $8,888 on a $897,000 home
• Kent: 10.01% increase → $6,293 on a $625,000 home
• Renton: 9.00% increase → $7,712 on a $729,000 home
• SeaTac: 7.64% increase → $6,180 on a $552,000 home
• Tukwila: 3.11% increase → $6,339 on a $577,000 home

For Black homeowners, this matters even more:
The homeownership gap between Black and white families in King County has not closed in 20 years—it remains 25% vs. 65%. Rising property taxes are one of the primary reasons Black families lose their homes. This exemption helps us stay.

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✅ THE SENIOR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAM

King County Assessor John Wilson walked us through the Senior Property Tax Reduction Program, which provides significant relief to qualifying homeowners.

WHO QUALIFIES?

Age/Disability:

• 61 years or older by December 31st of the assessment year, OR
• Disabled by Social Security Administration definition, OR
• A Veteran with service-connected disabilities (80% evaluation or 100% compensated)

Occupancy/Ownership:

• Must occupy the property as your principal residence (more than 6 months/year)
• Must own or be purchasing the home
• Property must be 1 acre or less (or 5 acres if zoned for such)

Income Limits (2024-2026):

• $84,000 or less in annual household income

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💰 HOW MUCH WILL I SAVE?

The program offers three levels of exemption based on income:

(Note: Income thresholds have increased significantly from prior years—more families now qualify!)

This is a GIFT, not a loan.
The property tax reduction never has to be repaid. The tax burden shifts to other taxpayers, and jurisdictions still receive their necessary funds.

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📝 HOW TO APPLY

Applications are available now.

ONLINE:
https://senior-exemption.kingcounty.gov/intro

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION:
https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/assessor/Forms.aspx

BY PHONE:
(206) 296-3920

IN PERSON:
King Street Center, 2nd Floor
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

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⏰ IMPORTANT DETAILS

Processing Time:
Current timeframe is up to 6 months (based on application volume). You will be notified by letter or email.

Retroactive Applications:
You can apply for up to 3 prior years, but you must have met qualifications each year.

Property Value Freeze:
Once approved, your property value freezes at the market value of the first year approved. If market value drops below the frozen value, the lower amount is used for taxation.

Mandatory Renewal:
Within 6 years, you’ll receive a mandatory renewal application from the Department of Assessments.

Your Responsibility:
You must notify the Assessor’s office if your income changes in a way that affects your benefit level, or if you sell the home or other major changes occur.

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🙌 THANK YOU, ASSESSOR WILSON!

We are grateful to King County Assessor John Wilson and his team for taking the time to present this critical information to our community. This is exactly the kind of partnership that helps Black homeowners stay in their homes and build generational wealth.

Contact the Assessor’s Office:
King County Department of Assessments
John Wilson, Assessor
(206) 296-7300
[email protected]

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📢 NEXT STEPS FOR BLH MEMBERS

If you think you qualify:

1. Call our outreach Specialist Rhonda Smith at 206.580.3653 or email us at [email protected]
2. We can help you navigate the application process and connect you with housing counselors if needed
3. Drop by our Community Hub Hours (every Thursday, 10am -2 PM at McKinney Center) where we’ll have staff available to answer questions

If you know someone who qualifies:
Share this information! Many seniors don’t know this exemption exists. You could save a neighbor, family member, or church member thousands of dollars per year.

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🔥 THE BIGGER PICTURE: WHY THIS MATTERS

Black homeownership in King County has been flat or declining for 20 years. The market is not closing the gap between Black and white homeownership—it is reinforcing it.

Property taxes are one of the hidden forces pushing Black families out of homes they own. When your property value increases 8-12% but your income doesn’t, the tax burden becomes unbearable.

This exemption is not charity—it’s justice.
It’s a small correction to a system that has historically excluded Black families from wealth-building and continues to extract wealth through rising tax burdens.

Walk the Block Institute keynote speaker will be Germane Barnes, a Miami-based architect, designer and educator. Germane Barnes’ research and design practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity. Mining architecture’s social and political agency, he examines how the built environment influences black domesticity. Currently, he is an Associate Professor and Director of the Community Housing Identity Lab (CHIL) at the University Of Miami School Of Architecture. Barnes is the 2021 Harvard GSD Wheelwright Prize winner, Rome Prize Fellow and winner of the Architectural League Prize. His design and research contributions have been published and exhibited in several international institutions. Most notably, The Museum of Modern Art, Pin-Up Magazine, The Graham Foundation, The New York Times, Architect Magazine, DesignMIAMI/ Art Basel, The Swiss Institute, Metropolis Magazine, Curbed, and The National Museum of African American History where he was identified as one of the future designers on the rise. He has recently been selected as one of Wallpaper USA’s 400 list, which “honors the people defining America’s creative landscape in 2024.”

The Central Area Cultural EcoSystem, 21st Century (CACE 21) is Wa Na Wari’s community organizing initiative that seeks to build community power and capacity amongst Black Central District homeowners and Black cultural workers to advocate for land use policies that lower the barriers to creating more cultural spaces based on the Wa Na Wari model.

In this model, Black homeowners would be able to convert all or portions of homes they own into “micro-cultural spaces” where individual artists and small arts groups can administer, create, and present their cultural works as a community activity and public benefit. These spaces would be scalable for neighborhood life, responsive to the needs and norms of Black communal life, and would provide economic opportunities for Black homeowners and new opportunities for displaced cultural workers alike. Our vision is a response to the housing affordability crisis that is impacting residential, commercial, and cultural opportunities for Seattleites at large and Black Seattleites in particular.

During Walk the Block Institute, CACE 21 will lead a series of Creative Community Building Workshops (stay tuned for details)! Register for Walk the Block Institute ! Please register here

 

The Seattle Office of Housing is taking steps to address the issue of affordable housing and prevent displacement in the Rainier Valley neighborhood. They are investing $7.5 million in an affordable housing ownership initiative that will result in the construction of 72 new housing units. These units will be available for purchase by individuals or families looking for affordable homeownership opportunities.

The funding will support four different housing projects, all of which are located on land that Sound Transit gifted to the city in 2021. Here are the details of the planned properties:

7908 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S: This project is a collaboration between the developer Homestead Community Land Trust and the Rainier Beach Action Coalition. It will consist of eight three-bedroom units, with an estimated completion date in 2025.

6740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S: African Community Housing & Development (ACHD) and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties (Habitat SKC) are partnering for this project. It will include ten one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units, with an estimated completion date in 2026.

3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S: ACHD and Habitat SKC are also collaborating on this project, which will have nine one-bedroom units and 22 two-bedroom units. It is expected to be completed in 2026.

4865 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S: Another project by ACHD and Habitat SKC, this one will feature three four-bedroom units and is estimated to be completed in 2026.

This initiative is part of the Rainier Valley Affordable Homeownership Initiative, which aims to develop a total of 100 homeownership units across ten sites provided by Sound Transit. The overarching goal is to create homeownership opportunities for both current and displaced residents of the Rainier Valley neighborhood.

Maiko Winkler-Chin, the director of Seattle’s Office of Housing, expressed enthusiasm for this initiative and its potential to address affordable housing challenges in the community. The selection process for these projects was carried out with input from various organizations, and the efforts of all involved parties in submitting innovative proposals were commended.

In a separate news release, ACHD and Habitat SKC highlighted the diversity of Rainier Valley, noting that it is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the Pacific Northwest. The Black Home Initiative (BHI) network also commended the efforts of Sound Transit, the City of Seattle Office of Housing, and partners like African Community Housing and Development and Habitat for Humanity SKKC for their work in addressing affordable housing needs and equity issues in the region.