Council Roundup: Latest Affordable Housing Strategy advances

Published March 27 2026

Plus, Old Bellevue public hearing, solid waste planning, legislative update and proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to advance the latest update to Bellevue's Affordable Housing Strategy for final action at a future meeting.

The 2026-32 Affordable Housing Strategy, which replaces Bellevue's original plan adopted in 2017, provides a roadmap to continue expanding local housing opportunities - particularly for households earning lower incomes - and offers tools and options aimed at helping the city meet its future housing needs.

With the help of the Affordable Housing Strategy, the city plans to:

• Implement policy guidance from Bellevue's Comprehensive Plan
• Build or preserve 5,700 affordable homes over the next decade
• Identify new resources to meet the city's need for affordable housing

The strategy update process began in November 2024 and featured innovative and language-accessible events to support extensive engagement conducted with the community and organizational partners. The process also included technical assessment and identification of municipal policy tools for expanding housing affordability in Bellevue.

For more information, see the meeting details. The ordinance is expected to be placed on the consent calendar for final action in April.

Public hearing on temporary development rules for Old Bellevue

The council also held a required public hearing on the temporary change to the city's land use rules originally approved on Feb. 10 for Old Bellevue along Main Street.

The council received additional public input on the narrowly tailored interim measure intended to ensure development remains consistent with the area's small-scale, pedestrian-oriented environment and historic facades.

Additional details are in the agenda materials and the full hearing is available on Bellevue Television replay.

Direction provided on future solid waste services contract

The council provided direction on the city's upcoming solid waste contract procurement process, as the current contract approaches expiration June 2028. The current contract, in place since 2014, provides essential services including garbage, recycling and compost collection, along with customer service and billing.

The council affirmed key service objectives, including aligning with best practices, responding to community needs, complying with evolving state requirements and leveraging technology and data. They also supported maintaining weekly collection for single-family homes and continuing an embedded rate structure for composting and recycling that encourages waste reduction.

The city is expected to begin the request for proposals process this summer, with a new contract anticipated in early 2027, which ensures sufficient time to prepare for future services before the current contract expires.

Legislative session update

The council received a briefing on the 2026 state legislative session, including budget updates, key outcomes and priorities for future advocacy.

Discussion focused on housing, transportation and emerging policy areas, along with opportunities to strengthen Bellevue's engagement in future sessions.

Proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The council proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Monthin Bellevue, accepted by Bellevue Police Assistant Chief Constance Slappey.

Note: The next council meeting will be Tuesday, April 14.

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