Seattle’s PACT launched to help boost housing supply

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an executive order in late June to create an interdepartmental team that is tasked with streamlining the process to build homes and start a business. Titled PACT, or “Permitting and Customer Trust,” the measure represents “the most significant concerted effort in the city’s history to cut red tape, reduce delays, and deliver clear, consistent guidance,” according to a statement in a news release from the mayor’s office.

The executive order cited three concerns—the housing affordability crisis characterized by rising costs, a significant decline in residential construction permit applications from 2020 to 2024, and regulatory barriers that slow new housing production—as factors “requiring immediate, decisive action to make the permitting system more efficient, predictable, and transparent.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be used in aiding the effort to reduce, perhaps by half, the housing review timeline. A pilot program got underway in April with a partnership between Seattle’s Innovation and Performance team and the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (DCI), and Seattle IT. The program falls under the city’s Responsible Artificial Intelligence policy.

Also involved in the effort is CivCheck™, described as a first-of-its-kind guided plan review and code compliance education software that expedites permitting for applicants and city reviewers. The platform, built by plan reviewers, is being piloted in jurisdictions in Canada and the U.S. with populations of 350,000 to 750,000.

CivCheck’s founders say their platform, which is currently used in about 10 jurisdictions, supports multiple types of permits, including zoning, building, fire, accessibility, plumbing, structural and others.  In Honolulu, a pilot program where CivCheck was used showed a 70% reduction in permit review times.

“Permitting should be a pathway—not a barrier—to building homes, starting businesses, and investing in our city’s future,” Harrell said in a statement. “With this executive order, we’re improving how the city does business and ensuring residents get clear answers and timely support so they can turn their plans into reality more quickly and help our communities grow and thrive.”

PACT participants will include representatives from: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection (SDCI), Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), Seattle City Light (SCL), Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS), Seattle Fire Department (SFD), Office of Economic Development (OED), Department of Neighborhoods (DON), Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE), and Seattle Information Technology Department (Seattle IT).

The city’s news release announcing the formation of PACT listed four key focal efforts:

• Clear and consistent reviews, inspection, and enforcement
• AI pilot program
• Tailored small business support
• Customer service that works for customers

In a statement, Nathan Torgelson, SDCI director, said the order “empowers us to modernize how we serve the public—by making permitting faster, clearer, and more predictable across departments. Whether you’re building housing or opening a small business, our goal is to deliver a responsive and transparent process that helps you succeed and strengthens our communities.”

Seattle’s DCI reviews an estimated 53,000 permits and 240,000 on-site inspections annually.