Item Number:  10c_order 
Meeting Date:  July 13, 2021 
1                                                     ORDER 2021-07: 
2                                     AN ORDER OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION 
3 
4                       To support the Executive Director's negotiation and execution
5                       of a lease agreement for the property known as Tsubota with
6                       the City of Seattle. 
7 
8                                                         PROPOSED 
9                                                       JULY 13, 2021 
10 
11                                                INTRODUCTION 
12 
13    Since November 2017 the City of Seattle has leased a portion of the Port's Tsubota site at 1601
14    15th Avenue West for the purposes of housing approximately 60 people in 43 units annually in a
15    tiny house village on slightly more than 17,994 sf of land. The City and Port are considering a 
16    new lease to increase the size of the leased lot for the purposes of adding up to 29 new units
17    and a comfort station on a total of approximately 35,000 sf of land. The parties are also
18    considering a  three-year term with a subsequent one-year option.   The negotiation and
19    execution of this lease is within the authority of the Executive Director under the Port's
20    Delegation of Authority.
21 
22 
23                                              TEXT OF THE ORDER 
24 
25    The Port Commission hereby supports the Executive Director's negotiation and execution of a
26    lease with the City of Seattle, for the property known as the Tsubota site at 1601 15th Avenue
27    West, on terms the Executive Director deems appropriate.
28 
29                                      STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDER 
30 
31    As an economic development agency, the Port of Seattle is responsible for spurring our regional
32    economy, sustaining and creating family-wage jobs by supporting small businesses, workforce
33    development, tourism, and leveraging real estate development to create jobs. As part of this
34    responsibility, the Port recognizes two distinct issues with which our entire community has
35    concern: 1) Emergency needs of the current homeless population; and 2) Affordable housing in
36    our communities. The Port is interested in playing a helpful role in addressing homelessness in
37    our community by leasing property for which the Port has no near-term plans. 
38 
39    The Commission received a briefing from representatives from the City of Seattle (the City) and
40    King County (the County) on August 8, 2017, during which they highlighted that their most 
41    pressing need to address homelessness is property for sanctioned homeless encampments. 
42 
43    In collaboration the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), the City has had great success with the
44    tiny house village model, which typically obtains a 37 percent exit rate to permanent overall

Order 2021-07  Supporting Tsubota Lease Agreement Negotiation and Execution                     Page 1 of 2

45    housing (compared to an average 4 percent successful exit rate of traditional shelters.) In 2019
46    the successful exit rate for the Tsubota Village was 46 percent. 
47 
48    The following data points illustrate the City's results regarding tiny house villages and at the
49    Tsubota Village: 
50 
51                 Number of villages in Seattle: 8 
52                 Number of total tiny houses in Seattle: approximately 300 
53                 Successful exit rate of tiny house occupants in Seattle: 37 percent 
54                 Number of tiny houses at Tsubota Village: 43 
55                 Successful exit rate of Tsubota Village occupants: 46 percent 
56 
57    LIHI representatives who manage the numerous villages explain that the maximum optimal size
58    of a village is 70 to 80 units. This range matches well with hygiene equipment and on-site case
59    managers' caseloads. The City of Seattle is considering expanding the Tsubota lot to include up
60    to 29 additional units, which will bring the full count to between approximately 70 to 74 units. 
61 
62    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ATTACHED 
63         Site Plan of Tsubota Village 












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