Even 2014 Seattle multifamily’s boom has its challenges and our speakers are going to cover them at the fourth annual Seattle Multifamily Summit at the Four Seasons Seattle on Oct 29 starting at 7:30am. Cairncross & Hempelmann partner Matt Hanna, who will be a moderator, tells us that the current pace of development will be an important topic of discussion at the event (he’s snapped moderating a previous Bisnow event). Also, Seattle's sustainability objectives will be on the agenda, and just how much policy makers and should do to encourage, or even compel, green building.

Another important challenge facing the residential market, Matt says, is affordable housing. “The City Council appears to moving forward with an approach that many in the multifamily development community oppose,” he tells us. The mayor’s advisory committee on affordable housing is doing its work, but it isn't clear yet how that's going to come out.