Rejected for MFTE housing in Shoreline because of "Projected Income" while unemployed. Can I appeal?

I’m looking for advice or resources on how to appeal a bizarre MFTE (Multifamily Tax Exemption) rejection in Shoreline/Seattle.

The Situation: I was laid off two months ago and am currently on unemployment. My partner and I applied for an MFTE unit, assuming we were well under the limit. During the application, I was honest and noted I was job hunting, providing three job descriptions I had applied for to show my field of work.

The Rejection: The MFTE coordinator rejected us based on "projected income." They looked at government labor statistics for the roles I’m applying for and decided that if I get a job, I would make $58/hour, which puts us over the limit.

Why this feels wrong:

1. Speculation vs. Reality: I don’t have a job offer. The market is brutal, and I’ve been searching for months with no luck. They are essentially counting me on the money I don't have and might not have for months.

2. Lack of Transparency: There was no warning that they would use "potential" future earnings based on industry medians rather than my current UI benefits and the job postings that I actually applied for. In the application material they already asked for 3 job advertisement shows the salary that I am applying for while the decision is not made based on that, which feels like a scam.

3. The Seattle Factor: The median wage for my role is skewed high because of big tech companies here, even if many open roles in smaller companies are paying significantly less.

Because of this delay, market-rate rents in the area have spiked in April, and we are also out our application fees.

My Questions:

* Is there a formal way to appeal a decision made by the MFTE coordinator in Shoreline?

* Has anyone successfully argued against "projected income" based on labor stats or the transparency of the program?

* Are there any local tenant unions or housing advocates in the Seattle/Shoreline area who handle MFTE disputes?

TL;DR: Unemployed and on UI, but got rejected for MFTE because the coordinator "projected" I would make $58/hr based on the labor market stats for the role I'm applying for. Now I'm stuck with higher market rents and lost app fees.