Introducing the Urban Rooming House
David Neiman
Ten years ago, Neiman Taber embarked on a series of projects that pioneered a new approach to micro-housing. We combined the inherent affordability of small units with well-designed common spaces that promote social interaction, build social capital, and provide quality homes for people struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly unaffordable city.
Altogether we designed ten congregate micro-housing projects, including three that we developed ourselves. In 2023 the last of these projects finished construction and opened its doors. These projects created more than 600 micro-housing units, most of which rent for around $1000 per month. We've received numerous awards for these projects, garnered a lot of good press, and people keep asking us what we are doing for our next project. But we have no new projects of this type in the pipeline – neither for our clients, nor for ourselves. It’s not just us. It has been over 3 years since any developer submitted a permit application for a new congregate housing project in Seattle.
We would still be developing and building congregate micro-housing projects if we could, but under today’s conditions there's been no way forward for more projects like this to be built by market-rate developers.
That's the bad news. Here's the good news. We've figured out a solution that solves a whole host of development challenges and provides a viable development model for congregate housing that can be built today. We've decided to share this concept openly - allowing us find mission-aligned investors & partners to get a project like this rolling, or for someone else to simply take this idea and run with it themselves.
To learn more, visit our blog at: https://neimanarchitects.blogspot.com/2024/05/introducing-urban-rooming-house.html
David Neiman
Senator Salomon,
HB 1998 absolutely helps. It’s just not the only obstacle. The meta housing story of the last 15 years is that we keep on making decent progress on the land use side, knocking down barriers, up-zoning, making land use more flexible in ways that allow for more housing, BUT… at the same time we have consistently tweaked our building/energy codes, passed new laws, and enacted agency policies that have made new housing ever more expensive. The fact that our economy was in such a long up-cycle disguised the problem for a while.
Around 2019-2020 we saw the first of our projects come through permitting but not get built b/c the construction costs were too high. Back then it was the smaller projects (less then 80 units) that were having trouble. Most of the projects we designed from 2020 onward were all 200+ units, as our clients went after larger projects to lower construction costs thru economy of scale. They also pursued opportunity zone investors to find cheaper capital. But those projects were all designed under the 2018 codes that have such stringent energy requirements. By the time those projects were permitted and ready to go, they were all foundering on the high costs of construction driven by the new energy codes. Then interest rates shot up, banks tightened up their lending requirements, further stressing project finances. Then equity investors, sensing that these projects weren’t going to make any money, started pulling back on their commitments. Of the dozen or apartment projects we’ve designed since 2019, one is under construction, seven are on hold b/c they can’t finance the construction phase, and four projects have given up altogether.
I’m optimistic that HB 1998 will get some co-living projects off the ground. HB 1110 should stimulate a lot of mom/pop scale infill development and starter housing. ADU/DADU projects should continue to become more plentiful. But the general headwinds for multi-family apartment development are significant right now.
Best,
-DEN
Sent from my iPhone
On May 29, 2024, at 4:50 PM, Salomon, Sen. Jesse <Jesse....@leg.wa.gov> wrote:
Ok reading your longer article now. Soooo….1998 didn’t help much due to other issues???
Sincerely,
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Jesse
Jesse Salomon
Senator, 32nd Legislative District
Washington State Senate
Office: (360) 786 – 7662 | | jesse....@leg.wa.gov
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From: Salomon, Sen. Jesse
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 4:43 PM
To: David Neiman <da...@neimanarchitects.com>
Subject: RE: Introducing the Urban Rooming House
Hi David,
I hope the bill we passed HB 1998 clears a lot of hurdles for development of micro housing. You say below nothing is in the pipeline. So I am a little confused-will this help to start getting more production in the pipeline?
Sincerely,
<image001.jpg>
Jesse
Jesse Salomon
Senator, 32nd Legislative District
Washington State Senate
Office: (360) 786 – 7662 | | jesse....@leg.wa.gov
Sign up for my Enewsletter here
We must resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics. We must focus on a few core truths: that we are all human, we are all Americans and we have common hopes for our communities and our country to thrive. We must find ways to re-engage across the divide, respectfully and constructively, by holding civil conversations with family, friends and co-workers and standing up collectively to the forces dividing us. Violence has no place in our politics- Former President Jimmy Carter
Hold the paper!! I prefer that flyers and information sheets be sent electronically in an effort to reduce environmental impacts. I thank you for your assistance!
Please be aware that any email or documents you provide to this office may be subject to public disclosure under RCW 42.56. If you would prefer to communicate by phone, please contact the office at (360) 786-7662.
From: neiman-taber-ar...@googlegroups.com <neiman-taber-ar...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of David Neiman
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 12:42 PM
To: Neiman Taber Architects Update <neiman-taber-ar...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Introducing the Urban Rooming House
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