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Maren is originally from Northfield, Minnesota. She has lived in Seattle for 28 years. She has a bachelor's degree in English and women's studies from St. Olaf College. She lives in West Seattle with her two children, and she has a partner with two children as well. She is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Maren is a product advisor for Carbon Zero Financial. She used to be the principal design lead at Microsoft, a designer at Planet Earth, and a principal user experience designer and senior manager at Amazon. She is certified in user centered design.

Maren Costa's campaign for city council is her first entry into politics.

Wants to expand accessible mobility and improve health through making streets safer.

Intends to create good paying, green economy jobs through an offshore solar plan in conjunction with unions, businesses, and the Port of Seattle.

Plans to partner with Seattle Public Schools to ensure that jobs are set aside for Seattle students in regards to public work in order to improve city infrastructure.

- Wants to expand accessible mobility and improve health through making streets safer.
- Intends to create good paying, green economy jobs through an offshore solar plan in conjunction with unions, businesses, and the Port of Seattle.
- Plans to partner with Seattle Public Schools to ensure that jobs are set aside for Seattle students in regards to public work in order to improve city infrastructure.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Believes that "homelessness is a housing problem, and the “housing first” approach is the most cost-effective solution."

Intends to relegalize middle housing in all neighborhoods.

Plans to free up disused office and motel space by buying it in order to house the homeless and relieve space in homeless shelters.

Wants to implement a vacancy tax of 1% of the property value on any residence left unoccupied for at least 6 months in a given year.

Supports the recent "Social Housing" program.

- Believes that "homelessness is a housing problem, and the “housing first” approach is the most cost-effective solution."
- Intends to relegalize middle housing in all neighborhoods.
- Plans to free up disused office and motel space by buying it in order to house the homeless and relieve space in homeless shelters.
- Wants to implement a vacancy tax of 1% of the property value on any residence left unoccupied for at least 6 months in a given year.
- Supports the recent "Social Housing" program.

Housing & Urban Development

Wants to reduce port emissions by electrifying short haul trucking and port docks in the Duwamish Valley community.

Supports Alternative 6 for the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, which will implement middle housing and mixed use neighborhood centers to reduce carbon emissions.

Will create a safe bike infrastructure network to reduce transportation pollution.

Supports renewable power generation, offshore wind and solar, and urban green spaces.

Plans to turn library and community centers into "resilience hubs" with clean air, heat-pump cooling, microgrid solar, and access to social services.

- Wants to reduce port emissions by electrifying short haul trucking and port docks in the Duwamish Valley community.
- Supports Alternative 6 for the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, which will implement middle housing and mixed use neighborhood centers to reduce carbon emissions.
- Will create a safe bike infrastructure network to reduce transportation pollution.
- Supports renewable power generation, offshore wind and solar, and urban green spaces.
- Plans to turn library and community centers into "resilience hubs" with clean air, heat-pump cooling, microgrid solar, and access to social services.

Environment

Supports the creation of neighborhood safety alliances or community responder programs.

Advocates for music and sports programs as well as familial counseling to create safer communities and reduce crime.

Wants to re-implement the Community Court program, which had an 80% success rate at decreasing recidivism in 2 years.

- Supports the creation of neighborhood safety alliances or community responder programs.
- Advocates for music and sports programs as well as familial counseling to create safer communities and reduce crime.
- Wants to re-implement the Community Court program, which had an 80% success rate at decreasing recidivism in 2 years.

Public Services

Advocates for investment in housing, mental health, and substance abuse care.

Intends to improve training programs for unarmed responders, and utilize social workers to lead mental health crises.

Plans to expand the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program.

Opposes lesser restrictions on firearms, and "will support and partner with groups like Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Choose 180, and Community Pathways that provide support and resources to communities that are disproportionately affected by gun violence."

Believes that Seattle needs more effective policing, and wants to reduce overwork and low morale for officers through mental health care, de-escalation training, and accountability processes.

- Advocates for investment in housing, mental health, and substance abuse care.
- Intends to improve training programs for unarmed responders, and utilize social workers to lead mental health crises.
- Plans to expand the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program.
- Opposes lesser restrictions on firearms, and "will support and partner with groups like Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Choose 180, and Community Pathways that provide support and resources to communities that are disproportionately affected by gun violence."
- Believes that Seattle needs more effective policing, and wants to reduce overwork and low morale for officers through mental health care, de-escalation training, and accountability processes.

Public Safety

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Maren Costa

Maren Costa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English & Women's Studies from St. Olaf College. She then went to the University of Washington, where she earned her Certificate of User Centered Design. Maren is originally from Northfield, Minnesota, and has lived in Seattle since 1991. She currently lives in West Seattle with her two children, and she has a partner who has two children as well. She is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Maren Costa has been a product advisor for Carbon Zero Financial since 2021, a Founding Advisor of Power Bloom Solar Inc since 2020, and a founding member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice since 2018. She was previously the Principal Design Lead in the Design, Experiences & Devices Group at Microsoft from 2021 to 2023; a designer, leader, & activist at Planet Earth from 2020 to 2023; and worked at Amazon for 7 years as a Principal UX Designer and Senior Manager.

Maren Costa's campaign for city council member is her first entry into politics.

- City council members work together with the rest of city council to set and implement city policy, including passing legislation about the police, fire department, parks, libraries, electricity, water, solid waste, and drainage utilities. 
- City council members work with the mayor to govern city departments, such as the police department, fire department, transportation department, and parks and recreation department.
- City council members serve four year terms, and elections are nonpartisan. City council members are either elected to represent specific districts or are elected at-large, meaning that they represent the entire city. 