Dorms for adults
Seattle is running out of room. Could tiny, Tokyo-style apartments be part of the solution?
How much space do we really need? Residents of a new Seattle-area micro-apartment building say not much. Units go for less than studios in the same neighborhood, allowing barbers, seniors, and other folks on low incomes to live in an expensive tech hub. State lawmakers think micro-apartments could be one solution to the region’s affordable housing crisis. The catch? Rooms are about the size of a single dorm, and residents share kitchens and common spaces. In this episode of Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg will take you inside a couple Seattle-area micro-apartments and discuss what we could gain -- or lose -- by bringing this kind of housing back.
Plus, find out why an aviation disaster expert says Boeing is in “Jaws" territory and see if you can guess the cities with the biggest – and smallest – average home sizes.
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.
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Monica Nickelsburg
Labor & Economy Reporter
Monica Nickelsburg is an economy reporter covering labor issues, the changing nature of work, the rise and fall of industries, technology trends, and workplace equity. She has extensive experience covering Amazon, Microsoft, and other major players re-shaping the Seattle region.
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Joshua McNichols
Growth and Development Reporter
Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology and climate change.
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Lucy Soucek
Podcast Producer
Lucy Soucek is a podcast producer who works on THE WILD with Chris Morgan, a podcast about the wonder and resilience of nature. She's trudged through waist-deep sawgrass looking for pythons and planned reporting trips 5,000 miles away in Ireland.
More stories from Lucy Soucek »
