The Puget Sound region has been home to Microsoft for more than 30 years. As the company has grown, the area has changed. New industries have brought more jobs, fresh opportunities and greater prosperity.
But new housing has not kept up with job growth, and the Greater Seattle area has become the sixth most expensive place to live in the United States.
That means many of the workers who make a community function – such as nurses, police officers, teachers and firefighters – can no longer afford to live in the cities or suburbs where they work.
The problem is particularly acute in the suburban cities around Seattle. Low- and middle-income workers often face long commutes.
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Microsoft is committed to helping kick-start solutions to this crisis, and is investing $500 million to advance affordable housing solutions. Microsoft is also advocating for changes in public policy at city and state levels to address the long-term factors affecting housing affordability.
This commitment is about more than housing. It is about the people who make our communities places we all want to live in.
For more on Microsoft’s initiatives in the Puget Sound region follow @MSFTIssues on Twitter.