Roost is proud to partner with the Seattle Social Housing Developer on Elara at the Market — and we want to help you apply before the lottery closes June 5.
Something historic is happening in Belltown. The Seattle Social Housing Developer — a first-of-its-kind public entity created by Seattle voters — has acquired its first property. And it's not a modest starter project. Elara at the Market is a Class A building with Puget Sound views, steps from Pike Place Market, in one of the most desirable zip codes in the Pacific Northwest.
This is publicly owned housing. Owned by the people of Seattle, for the people of Seattle.
Roost is SSHD's technology partner for resident qualification and placement at Elara's launch. Here's what you need to know.
The first acquisition of Seattle's social housing model
When Seattle voters approved I-135 in 2023, they created something unusual in American housing policy: a public developer with the mandate to acquire and operate mixed-income housing at scale, funded by the public, accountable to the public. SSHD is the institution that came out of that vote.
Elara at the Market is SSHD's first acquisition — and it sets an important tone. By choosing a Class A asset in a prime location, Seattle is signaling that public investment in housing doesn't mean compromising on quality. It means building a portfolio worth living in.
First move-ins are slated for July 1, 2026. The pre-application lottery window is open now through June 5, 2026.
Who actually qualifies? (You might be surprised)
One of the most persistent misconceptions about income-restricted housing is that it's only for people in poverty. The income pools at Elara tell a different story.
A 2-person household earning $85,000/year could be drawn in the lottery.
That's 65% AMI for a 2-person household — a real possibility for young professionals, essential workers, nurses, teachers, and thousands of working Seattleites who earn too much for deep-subsidy programs but too little to keep pace with market rents.
Elara has 150 units allocated across five income pools:
Rents at Elara will range from $775/month for a studio to $1,682/month for a two-bedroom — in a Class A Belltown building with Puget Sound views.
Not sure which pool you're in? The 2026 income limits below show the full thresholds by household size. Your household size and income determine your pool — applying before June 5 is all that's required to be considered.
| Household size | 30% AMI | 50% AMI | 65% AMI | 80% AMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $34,530 | $57,550 | $74,815 | $92,080 |
| 2 people | $39,480 | $65,800 | $85,540 | $105,280 |
| 3 people | $44,400 | $74,000 | $96,200 | $118,400 |
| 4 people | $49,320 | $82,200 | $106,860 | $131,520 |
| 5 people | $53,280 | $88,800 | $115,440 | $142,080 |
Source: 2026–2027 Rental Income Limits for OH-funded properties, effective May 15, 2026. Pool 5 (81%+ AMI) uses first-in-time ordering.
The qualification process is designed to be simple
SSHD has been deliberate about making income qualification as frictionless as possible — that's central to how they think about access and equity. Roost is powering that process, with a focus on transparency at every step. You'll know where you stand, what's needed, and what comes next.
Pre-applying takes a couple of minutes and is free. Move-in windows are flexible for people still in an existing lease, and as the building fills throughout the year, additional units will continue to open up.
A new model, not just a new building
Elara matters beyond its 150 units. It's the first proof point for a model that Seattle voted for: publicly owned, mixed-income housing that doesn't compromise on location or quality. The question this acquisition is answering isn't just “where will people live” — it's “who does this city actually build for.”
Affordable housing has historically been shaped by the constraints of what was possible — limited funding, competing priorities, and the complexity of getting projects across the finish line at all. Elara represents what becomes possible when a city chooses to invest differently: quality housing, in a central location, accessible to a broad range of incomes.
If this model works — and the early signs suggest it will — SSHD acquires more. The portfolio grows. More of Seattle's workforce gets access to the kind of housing that the market has increasingly priced them out of. The return isn't financial. It's a city that works for more of the people who live in it.