Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County

If you have press inquiries, please contact us at 206-682-9541 or email hdc@housingconsortium.org.

Featured Press Releases and Coverage

11/17/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Urban Rest Stop lifts up the city's down and out
Just seven years ago, Ben Busby-Collins was blowing through money, boozing, bottoming out. Read more.

11/10/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Housing vouchers help bring vets home
"EVERY DAY should be Veterans Day across America," Sen. Patty Murray said Monday. "Caring for our veterans ... is an American responsibility." Read more.

11/04/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Unusual partnership led to creation of Fremont Solstice Apartments
For years, developers have built condos in Fremont -- and made the natives restless. Read more.

11/03/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Interbay upzoning plan approved
Apologizing for a four-year delay but relieved to finally bust through political gridlock, the Seattle City Council approved plans Monday aimed at transforming blighted Interbay into a green neighborhood. Read more.

10/22/2008
Seattle Times
U.S. gap between rich, poor widening
Economic inequality is growing in the world's richest countries, particularly in the United States, jeopardizing the American Dream of social mobility just as the world tilts toward recession, a 30-nation report said Tuesday. Read more.

10/17/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Seattle tent sites ordered to merge
The city has issued an ultimatum to the organizers of the homeless encampment known as "Nickelsville": consolidate it with another tent city in Seattle or face legal consequences. Read more.

10/17/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Housing gets hammered
The nation is on track to build fewer homes this year than at any time since the end of World War II...Read more.

10/15/2008
Sustainable Industries
Nonprofit makes green housing affordable
Green building, due to its long-term payoffs from reduced resource use, is becoming a more prevalent strategy among social service agencies working to provide affordable housing for low-income families. Read more.

10/15/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Economic boom left out working poor, but bust won't
Many trapped in low paying jobs...Read more.

10/15/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Magnolia group sues over Fort Lawton housing plan
A Magnolia neighborhood group has sued the city of Seattle, challenging its plan to redevelop the former Fort Lawton Army Reserve Base for housing. Read more.

10/13/2008
West Seattle Herald
Affordable housing proposal up for vote
The Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote by the end of the year on a proposal that would allow developers to build taller in the Ballard neighborhood commercial district in exchange for providing some residential units below market rate or other types of public benefits like open space. Read more.

10/13/2008
Forbes
America's Luxury Homes, Downsized
Ross Chapin builds high-end homes that are small or, as he calls them, "sensibly sized." Read more.

09/30/2008
Seattle Times
Mayor's propsed budget cuts administrative jobs
Proposing to cut only administrative costs, Mayor Greg Nickels Monday announced what he called a compassionate Seattle budget for 2009 and 2010. Read more.

09/29/2008
Seattle Times
Charities face loss of WaMu giving; $48.6M donated last year
One day after Paul Chiocco heard about the sudden demise of Washington Mutual, he was trying to figure out how to fill a possible budget hole...Read more.

09/23/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
City Council OKs Fort Lawton redevelopment plan
Proposal calls for mix of market rate, homeless housing...Read more.

09/16/2008
Housing Washington 2008
State Honors Carla Okigwe of the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County
Carla Okigwe (bio follows) was honored this evening for
a lifetime of service to the mission of expanding affordable housing resources for the
benefit of Washington’s low-income residents. Read more.

08/27/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
The Money Squeeze: Household income rose in 2007
Working as a prep cook at a SeaTac restaurant, James Hale has earned the same wage -- $10 per hour -- since February 2006. Read more.

08/14/2008
Seattle Times
We need to expand our definition of "sustainable" communities
How do we make existing communities sustainable? Read more.

07/31/2008
For more information on the housing bill see the following:

Cantwell's Summary

National Council of State Housing Agencies' bill summary

National Low Income Housing Coalition's summary of the Housing Trust Fund

07/31/2008
Seattle Times
The gem in the housing bill
If you were to ask Democrats Barney Frank and Chris Dodd — the principal architects of the massive housing bill signed Wednesday by...Read more.

07/30/2008
Seattle Times
Bush signs housing bill to provide mortgage relief
President Bush on Wednesday signed a massive housing bill intended to provide mortgage relief for 400,000 struggling homeowners and stabilize financial markets. Read more.

07/30/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
State, homeowners taking on lenders
Michelle Miran didn't realize that there was something wrong with her mortgage until the interest rate reset last year. Read more.

07/29/2008
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homelessness: What's the deal?
Tent City has become an important way station for the region's homeless – and successful by just about any metric. Read more.

07/29/2008
Seattle Times
$56 million in Housing Authority repair needs worry senior tenants
The Seattle Housing Authority says it needs $56 million over the next 10 years to repair the 23 apartment buildings that make up the Seattle Senior Housing Program, which serves low-income seniors — but operates with no government subsidy that could help pay for the repairs. Read more.

07/2008
Affordable Housing Finance
Street Kings in Seattle
It took some 130 meetings with residents of the former public housing development located in the White Center neighborhood to come up with a plan to replace deteriorating housing that was originally built in 1942 to house Boeing workers during World War II. Read more.

07/2008
Affordable Housing Finance
Sharing Space
On a busy downtown corner, a new green building balances the needs of a demanding neighborhood, formerly homeless residents, and the nation’s largest pharmacy chain. Read more.

07/2008
Affordable Housing Finance
A Long Engagement
Those who typically have been shut out of affordable housing options get more than a home at Evans House. Read more.

07/11/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Old Chubby & Tubby building will be torn down for
apartments
Only the signs and the name remain of crowds who came looking for a deal and the $1 Christmas trees they used to find in the parking lot. Read more.

07/10/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
We can cope with change in Seattle
Barack Obama campaigned on it, self-help gurus swear by it and we have come to expect it in our culture, politics and economy. Read more.

06/09/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
A grand plan for Duwamish neighbors
Imagine gondolas whisking people from West Seattle across the Duwamish River. Or water taxis scooting along the Duwamish to downtown. Read more.

06/09/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homeless camp out at City Hall, protest tent camp sweeps
In April, Seattle officials added capacity for 20 homeless shelter beds and promised to give three days' notice to homeless people forced from unauthorized tent camps in controversial sweeps. Read more.

06/09/08
Seattle Times
15 arrested at City Hall today protesting sweeps of homeless camps
Fifteen people protesting the sweeps of homeless encampments in Seattle parks were arrested Monday morning after they blocked Cherry Street on the north side of City Hall in Seattle by pitching a tent in the street and standing in the road. Read more.

06/06/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homeless struggle to be heard at City Hall
The bodies were lined up on the Second Avenue sidewalk in the chilly June night. Read more.

06/06/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Green and affordable
The folks over at Capitol Hill Housing want to get out the message that environmentally friendly construction doesn't have to be expensive. Read more.

06/01/08
Seattle Times
Homeless: new growth industry
Kevin, whom his mates call "Boston" because that's where he's from, is giving me a walking tour of the growth in his neighborhood. Read more.

05/28/08
Seattle Times
Veterans seek help at homeless shelter
Some veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are among the Seattle-area homeless who seek the help of the Compass Center, which offers transitional housing. Read more.

05/23/08
Washington CEO Magazine
Getting Green From the Brown
RAINIER COURT, an urban village of apartments and commercial spaces, boldly rises in the heart of Seattle's Rainier Valley, defying the history of the property it occupies. Read more.

05/14/08
Bellevue Reporter
An attainable goal: Affordable housing in Bel-Red
With the costs of real estate development increasing daily, building housing affordable to the full range of income levels seems like an impossible task. Read more.

05/07/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Emergency home loans approved by City Council panel
Several dozen Seattle homeowners facing foreclosure could receive emergency loans under a new program approved by a City Council committee Wednesday. Read more.

05/03/08
Seattle Times
Bellevue affordable-housing plan up for discussion
Bellevue city officials this summer will have an unusual opportunity to make a dent in one of the Eastside's most sweeping problems: the lack of affordable housing. Read more.

05/02/08
Seattle Times
Rezoning urged to aid project at Goodwill site
Seattle's planning department has recommended a zoning change that would help convert the 10-acre Goodwill Industries site on South Dearborn Street into a large shopping center and 565 apartments and condos. Read more.

05/01/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Seattle nonprofit offers Senate ways to help homeless veterans
Permanent housing and better monitoring are needed to help a growing number of homeless veterans, a Seattle-area advocate for the former soldiers told the Senate on Thursday. Read more.

05-06/08
Harvard Magazine
Making Credit Safer
Read more.

04/23/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
A school for kids living in poverty
A teacher tries to shush her young students, telling them to be "as quiet as a mouse." Read more.

04/21/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Rent at an all time high--if you can find a place
Byron Kilbourne has been looking for an apartment in Seattle since February. Read more.

04/20/08
Seattle Times
New light rail clears way for an MLK makeover
Mike Hlastala has seen the future. And it runs on rails. Read more.

04/16/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homelessness: Achieving Balance
Dealing with homeless encampments is a tricky business, one that requires that the city weigh the needs of the homeless with safety issues. Read more.

04/15/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Seattle homeless camp policy under fire
Seattle crews have razed six unauthorized homeless encampments so far this year while the city developed a protocol for such controversial sweeps, officials said this week. Read more.

04/09/08
Seattle Times
Misguided land-use regulations push middle class out of King County
Does it surprise you to know that the middle class is getting squeezed out of King County? Probably not. Read more.

04/09/08
Seattle Times
Coucil favors renewal of levy for parks
With rising condo towers and disappearing green space in Seattle, City Council members say the city needs more parks. Read more.

04/09/08
Seattle Times
County budget shortfall bad, and it will get worse
King County's budget chief, saying the financial outlook has deteriorated significantly in the past month, now projects a $20 million shortfall this year and a $60 million problem next year. Read more.

04/02/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Little Saigon neighborhood won't benefit from big-box mall
If you want to explore one of the quietest gems of Seattle's crown, walk east up Jackson Street from the International District. You'll soon be walking into the heart of Seattle's Little Saigon. Read more.

04/01/08
Seattle Times
Housing leader steps down
The resignation of embattled Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson leaves the Bush administration without a top housing official as it faces a vast mortgage crisis that has shaken the global economy. Read more.

03/26/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Section 8 Housing: Living Redemption
Lives can go wrong, and a high price is paid for mistakes. But when it comes to punishment, how much is enough and when does redemption come in? Those are questions the Seattle Housing Authority Commission is considering as it mulls its screening criteria for Section 8 housing applicants. Read more.

03/26/08
Seattle Times
Helping working families buy--and keep--their homes
Can you afford a home in the community where you work? For more and more families in Snohomish County, the answer is no. Read more.

03/11/08
Seattle Times
Downtown Bellevue condos beckon to younger crowds
When downtown Bellevue living started to take off several years ago, typical buyers of the glitzy new condos were aging baby boomers looking for a second home or to downsize after the kids moved out. Read more.

03/09/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Interbay in transition: From 'no man's land' to urban village
On any given day, the semi-industrial zone known as Interbay jolts to life. Read more.

03/07/08
Seattle Times
FHA and others are lifting limitson mortgages
A sizable increase in key mortgage limits announced Thursday may deliver a big dose of first aid to the sluggish Puget Sound housing market. Read more.

03/06/08
Seattle Times
Living closer together does not mean we have to step on each other's toes.
The conclusion to be drawn from the new University of Washington study about the effect of land-use rules on home prices is not that we must choose between affordable housing and clean air, open space, parks and a green quality of life. Read more.

03/03/08
Seattle Times
Don't expect economics to settle the land-use debate
When I asked Theo Eicher if he was surprised by the furious reaction to his study on land-use regulations and housing prices, he answered with the maddening care of an economist: "Yes and no." Read more.

02/29/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Ballard hosts Tent City
Hayley Parks held a wide-eyed 9-month-old girl on her hip, gazing out her kitchen window at an empty church parking lot. Read more.

02/28/08
Real Change
Council looking at new heights changes zones
Taller buildings for neighborhoods--if developers pay for affordable housing. Read more.

02/27/08
Seattle Weekly
Your Neighbor's Last Roof was the Viaduct
Does it bother you that the county is renting him a place next to you? Read more.

02/27/08
Seattle Times
Seattle housing priced up--barely
With a full year's numbers now in, S&P/Case Shiller reported Tuesday that Seattle's single-family homes appreciated a meager 0.5 percent in 2007. Read more.

02/21/08
Seattle Times
Area's middle class is losing ground
More people are flying high or falling into poverty while the middle class is shrinking, says a county report released Wednesday. Read more.

2/20/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Home is sacred, even if it's a tent
The most visible and horrible manifestation of the city of Seattle's encampment sweeps policy was the death of Isaac Palmer last summer. Read more.

2/20/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Democrats unveil state budget plan
Despite a $522 million downgrade in the state's estimated available revenue, House Democrats have crafted a supplemental spending plan that keeps intact almost all of the $33 billion budget passed last year. Read more.

2/19/08
Seattle Times
At last, a place of her own
For the first time in years, Mary Millett, 67, has a permanent roof over her head, a bathroom of her own and a door she can lock. Read more.

2/15/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
King County needs affordable family housing
Nurri worked as a certified nursing assistant, his wife Ayalnesh as a cashier at Goodwill. Their story is typical of people Habitat for Humanity tries to help. Read more.

2/12/08
Seattle Times
City Council asked to unfreeze funds for displaced renters
Local housing activists are asking the Seattle City Council to release $350,000 in funds set aside last year to help renters displaced by condominium conversions. Read more.

2/11/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Nickels withholds money meant for displaced renters
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is withholding emergency funds meant to help rental dwellers find new housing when evicted by developers converting their buildings into condominiums. Read more.

2/5/08
Seattle Times
Condo Conversions: Relief for renters likely on way
Renters forced from their apartments to make way for condominiums would get more time to find a new home and extra money to pay for it under a new law expected to pass the Legislature. Read more.

2/4/08
Partnership to End Longterm Homelessness
17th Maxwell Awards Winners and Finalists Announced
Fourteen nonprofits honored for their excellence in the creation and management of supportive housing for homeless individuals and families. Read more.

2/1/08
Seattle Times
In housing we trust
Hundreds of concerned citizens fanned out into our local community in the early hours of Jan. 25, counting people who are homeless. Read more.

1/31/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
City of Seattle: Home Investing
The subprime mortgage crisis coupled with rising home prices have done a number on our region, exposing some to the possibility of losing their homes. Read more.

1/28/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
City of Seattle's plan for clearing homeless encampments called inhumane
The city of Seattle's draft protocol for removing homeless encampments is unreasonable and inhumane and would violate federal and state law, critics said Monday. Read more.

1/25/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Count shows 15 percent increase in homelessness
The annual One Night Count of the homeless in Seattle and other parts of King County early Friday reflected an increase in the unsheltered population from a year ago, but the numbers may not tell the whole story. Read more.

1/25/08
Seattle Times
"One Night Count" finds 15% increase in street homelessness in King County
Homelessness in King County increased 15 percent over last year, according to the annual One Night Count in King County that was held in today's freezing early morning hours. Read more.

1/24/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homeless shelters packed as cold weather sets in
More than 150 homeless people stayed in Seattle shelters Tuesday night and even more are expected later this week, a spokesman for the city's human services department said.
Read more.

1/23/08
Seattle Times
Real Estate Remained Healthy
Median single-family home prices were up last year throughout the Pugent Sound region. Read more.

1/23/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Two sides to '07 housing market
Last year was, in many ways, two different years for the Seattle-area housing market. Read more.

01/21/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Tax break spurs developer interest in neglected lot
Federal program revives poor areas. Read more.

01/11/08
Real Change
Money on Their Minds
Legislators convene with budget surplus, leaner times on the horizon. Read more.

01/11/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homeless get 48 hours to leave
Homeless people who camp on city property would be given at least 48 hours' notice before they and their belongings are removed under a draft protocol for dealing with unauthorized encampments, Seattle officials said Thursday. Read more.

01/11/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Colman School activists to get their museum
Colman School has long been a landmark to drivers heading eastbound from downtown, a historic brick building rising from the edge of the Interstate 90 lid. Read more.

01/11/08
Seattle Times
School is transformed in museum, housing
Running her hand over the exposed brick of the old school walls, and checking out the view of downtown skyscrapers, Jennifer Hopkins couldn't help but let out a little cry of delight.Read more.

01/09/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Homelessness: Good for the soul
More proof that compassion isn't just good for the soul, but also good for one's pocketbook: Seattle and King County's housing projects targeting the chronically homeless work, and they save us $3.2 million each year. Read more.

01/08/08
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Housing Homeless saves money
Projects that address addiction cut hospital, jail visits, study finds.Read More