The annual reports date from 1940 to 1985 and are a source of information on housing data in Seattle, both visual and textual. Annual reports will continue to be added to the series. Early reports include information on commission members, the year's activities, relevant laws, and Seattle's housing needs. The year's activities are often presented in the form of a timeline; a narrative discussion presents highlights. Low-income housing projects (such as Yesler Terrace) and war housing projects (including Sand Point Defense Housing Project, Rainier Vista, Holly Park, and High Point, as well as temporary housing and dormitories) figure prominently in early reports.

Housing options for those working in defense industries are discussed in the World War II-era reports; the 1945 annual report provides an overview of the Authority's activities during the war years. The post-war reports discuss housing shortages and options for veterans' families.

Community activities, budget issues, project financing, housing eligibility, housing costs, and the Authority's no-segregation policy are also discussed in the annual reports. Later reports discuss projects to provide housing for elderly and handicapped Seattle residents. 1960s reports -- entitled Housing Headlines -- include brief narrative updates on project and activities as well as some statistics; the "Turnkey" construction program figures prominently in late 1960s and early 1970s reports. The 1998 Annual Population Report contains a demographic overview of the residents of three Seattle Housing Authority programs.