Micro-housing debate in Seattle is no small fight

SEATTLE -- There’s a big fight brewing in Seattle over micro-housing.  These are extremely small apartments -- some as small as 100 square feet -- and more and more are being built around the city.

Opponents argue that micro-housing is ruining neighborhoods by putting too many people into one building and adversely affecting parking and quality of life.

"They haven't been monitoring it," said Bill Bradburd of the Seattle Neighborhood Coalition. "They've allowed over 50 of these projects to get into the pipeline on this."

But supporters argue that these tiny apartments are the only way to keep the city affordable.

"It’s a choice that people are making to say, I want a smaller space, pay less for it, in a hotter, transit-friendly, cool neighborhood in Seattle,” said Roger Valdez of Smart Growth Seattle.  “The only complaints are from people that don’t live in them, that want to control and determine how other people live."

While a typical micro-housing unit is cheaper than a regular apartment, it can still can go for $800-$1,000 a month.

The Seattle City Council is debating a law that would tighten the rules for micro-housing, including that they be an average of at least 220 square feet, which would mean fewer units per building.