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HDC Member Highlight: BEE Consulting

September 9, 2021 in Member Highlight

It was BEE Consulting’s mission-driven work that led them into the affordable housing sector.

Formed in 1999, BEE Consulting’s primary focus has always been to perform superior building envelope design for their clients and community. Over the years, the team has added additional services that round out the package of what their consultants can provide including full building energy analysis, weatherization design, window testing, air barrier design and testing, and infrared thermography.

BEE’s team is comprised of a group of licensed professional engineers, consultants, experienced construction inspectors, highly qualified fenestration and air barrier testing technicians and CAD drafters who have extensive experience in envelope details and materials specifications. Their team’s diverse backgrounds and connections abroad help them give a special insight to the international work and development practices.

As new members of HDC, the BEE Consulting team is excited to collaborate with other leaders in the sector on sustainable and affordable building. Their team is eager to provide insight and advise as much as possible. They look forward to giving back to the community through affordable and energy-efficient solutions.

BEE has already partnered with many fellow HDC members. BEE consulted on one project especially cherished to members and partners, the Filipino Community Village. Located in the Rainier Valley neighborhood of Seattle, Filipino Community Village provides affordable housing opportunities for households with seniors 55 and older. You can watch a recording of project partners discussing the incredible collaboration and project during our Affordable Housing Week event, Increasing Options for Aging in Place.

With BEE, the team is designing for more cost-effective and sustainable communities. They explore affordable solutions that can also reduce a building’s carbon footprint and energy costs. This is fundamental to their decision making and recommendations. BEE offers many services to meet each building envelope engineering needs, including a variety of services for new design, remediation, research, and forensics. They have a strict policy to provide accurate costs for all their services so developers can appropriately budget.

BEE has been sharing and advocating for a special promising practice for affordable housing: triple pane windows. Standard windows are single or double pane, but the extra glass can make units more energy efficient, comfortable, and durable. As with new double paned window installations, a seal between each pane makes the windows airtight and allows for improved insulation and can improve up to 20-30% on energy efficiency. Because of these insulating properties, triple pane windows can help regulate unit temperature at a comfortable level, reducing monthly energy bills.

While some sustainable building practices – like solar paneling – can be a very expensive investment, triple pane windows are particularly worthwhile considering windows can take up 30% of the wall. Triple pane windows are a durable, long-term investment as they last for 30-40 years. These can be utilized for large or small windows. Lastly, triple pane windows can help the overall comfort of a unit. Triple pane windows are more effective at keeping out sound, which is particularly beneficial in King County metropolitan areas.

As a steward of sustainable development, BEE Consulting is excited to be joining HDC and assisting fellow members in simple, eco-friendly improvements to projects. To learn more about this incredible team, visit their website or reach out to Telman Gasanov, BEE’s Principal & Energy Department Manager.

Welcome, BEE!

Harvard ManageMentor: Education, Commitment, Opportunity

September 1, 2021 in Leadership Development, Uncategorized

Education. Commitment. Opportunity. According to our members, these keywords best encapsulate HDC’s Harvard ManageMentor program. We have officially closed our first year of the program and many teams and individuals across HDC membership took full advantage of the opportunity. Below is feedback we’ve collected about the program.

You can register for HMM Year 2 here. 

Year 1 Participant:

I was recently promoted into a junior leadership position, and Harvard ManageMentor seemed like a great way to start thinking of myself as a leader- instead of just an analyst.

Now that you’re in the program, what general factors have been especially important in sustaining high engagement? 

The goals I have set within the program, for use throughout the following weeks, have helped me to implement the new skills I’m learning and stay focused on adding what I’m learning to my daily routine.  I’ve also included the course as my main development goal for two consecutive annual performance evaluations which drive my wage increase and yearly bonus.

What specific courses have been the most interesting and relevant to you? 

I really learned a lot from Feedback and Coaching, as well as Meeting Management. I’m not comfortable being the center of attention, and it’s helped me to have some outside help in getting more comfortable in those areas – setting boundaries in a conversation, tackling difficult topics, and time management.

We often hear that “finding the time” is the biggest obstacle for adult learners with full-time jobs. How did you approached that time challenge?

For the first few months, I was training a new colleague and couldn’t find the time during my regular work schedule to fit it in. Starting in 2021, I was able to carve out a couple afternoons back to back each month to step away from the regular workspace and log in to the month’s session.  My manager has encouraged me to complete the work on company time whenever possible.

We also hear that it can be extremely helpful when participants have the chance to share what they’re learning with colleagues in their own workplaces. Have has your team found ways to do that?

The Coaching module gave me the idea to schedule a weekly conversation with my colleague, rather than wait for a fire that needs putting out to talk to each other. He joined the team last year and will be working separately from me and our manager even when we return to the office. I wanted to keep the lines of communication more open than they had been with my former colleagues, and build that relationship so that when I am promoted into a higher leadership position, we have the groundwork in place.

If you’ve already applied what you’re learning to a specific situation at work, can you briefly describe it?

I used the Delegating module to shift the dynamic between me and my colleague. He still had a tendency to come to me for answers that were easily found in our internal and external resources, so I started directing him back to those for the answers rather than just giving him the information. This has freed up more of my time and also empowered him to know where to go for answers on his own. He still comes to me if he doesn’t understand a policy or process, but now he knows where to start.

Anything else would you like to share with HDC, with other participants, and/or with future participants?

I really appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow using this program. When my manager approached me with the idea, it felt like a heavy lift, especially with the recent turnover on our team. But it has been a pleasure to hear all the anecdotes from diverse and interesting people in all kinds of different fields, and really helpful to watch the “Right and Wrong” videos acting out scenarios to show more useful ways to interact with one another.  I’m really pleased with the way this program has been put together, and I would recommend it to colleagues and friends who want to get more comfortable with seeing themselves as leaders.

Rafn Company on their experience with the program:

Finding a good external leadership training course is difficult and finding one with room for a Rafn cohort is really unique. The idea of a potentially ongoing source with a proven curriculum was too good to pass up. The structure could allow us to build a group of graduates over 3 – 5 years that would be really strong leaders. And the networking is a real plus.

Now that you’re in the program, what general factors have been especially important in sustaining high engagement? 

The structure that we put in place with internal meet-ups for our four participants has created real accountability amongst our team. Also having management interested and engaged with participants and seeing what they are learning. We think the café’s have strong potential if more people used them consistently.

How have the group café discussions been going? What has another café participant shared that has resonated with you or caused you to think differently about something?

The cafes help to keep people on track with the course work and are a good chance to network. Sharing would perhaps be more forthcoming if the cafes could meet in person. Sometimes sharing personal stories over Zoom with strangers is a bit more difficult. From our internal meetups, it was interesting to learn that a couple of our cohort did not previously view themselves as leaders, but the program has opened their perspectives..

We often hear that “finding the time” is the biggest obstacle for adult learners with full-time jobs. How did the Rafn team approached that time challenge? 

Despite the fact that we have encouraged our people to use their time at work to help get the homework done, they all report that uninterrupted time is key to learning and retaining the information. That has led most to doing the sessions from home. The plus is that it is super accessible and you can do the courses from anywhere.

We also hear that it can be extremely helpful when participants have the chance to share what they’re learning with colleagues in their own workplaces. Has Rafn found ways to do that? 

Our group of four participants meets once a month for an hour (via Zoom). They share what they are learning and what they are experiencing as they work through the course. We think that has really added value to the program for our team. Every one of our participants has expanded their leadership role within the company over the past year of the program, so the trickle down effect is in play at multiple levels on a daily basis.

Anything else would you like to share with HDC, with other participants, and/or with future participants?

Any technical staff would benefit from these courses. It is the kind of training that isn’t common in our industry. It really teaches how to better interact with others to get results and build camaraderie. Others suggest taking full advantage of the conversation cafes.

HDC Member Highlight: Whitley Evergreen

August 12, 2021 in Member Highlight, Member Services

Over 75 years of off-site construction experience comes with a suite of services and benefits when building with Whitley Evergreen.

Whitley Manufacturing Co., Inc. was founded in South Whitley, Indiana, after World War II to provide homes for returning veterans. As you can imagine, the company has grown significantly throughout that time. By 1992, the factory had manufactured 25,000 units. In the early 2000s, Whitley expanded to two new locations, Rochester, Indiana and Seattle, WA. Whitley Evergreen is the local branch of the company and one of the newest members of HDC. Their multiple plants provide true coast-to-coast service of modular and off-site construction.

Whitley Evergreen’s focus on affordable housing is aligned with their efficient building practices and commitment to community. To Whitley Evergreen, the opportunities to participate in meaningful projects is one of the exciting things about the affordable housing market – knowing that these kinds of projects can draw and bring together all kinds of people with various backgrounds and skills, and helping the community grow at the same time.

Whitley Evergreen stands out in their construction processes, with modular construction principles? to manufacture buildings. In joining the HDC community, Whitley Evergreen would like to share open communication with members, as they are an extremely easy team to communicate with. The team encourages folks to ask any and all questions on how their modular construction process works!

They firmly believe that their method of construction is quicker, more cost effective, and a much less disruptive and environmentally responsible way to build. “We love to teach others of our practices and explain in detail and by example the advantages of modular construction,” explained Alan Duer, General Manager of Whitley Evergreen. “We are proud of how little red tape there is at Whitley Evergreen and our team’s willingness and excitement to explain the benefits of modular construction and the many unique and advanced processes behind it.”

They are also a company with a leading heart for compassion and community. The Whitley team actively looks to how they can assist in the community and help those in need. Recently, the Whitley Evergreen facility assisted King County and Catholic Housing in building the Elliot Avenue Homeless Transitioning Campus, comprised of numerous modular buildings to assist in helping those transitioning from homelessness. While the project was in construction, the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across King County. The project partners were challenged to assist those transitioning from homelessness while also protecting vulnerable individuals on the street from COVID-19. Last Fall, project partners discussed the project, wins, challenges, and lessons learned with HDC members.

In joining HDC, Whitley Evergreen is an interested observer – keeping an eye on the many different types of affordable housing people are building and figuring out how their factory and modular construction can add value to a lot of the types of projects they are seeing. They are very interested in having a bigger role in developing building plans and creating future affordable housing projects.

“We are really excited about the future for the entire modular construction industry being involved in a lot more affordable housing projects. More and more folks are becoming aware of the control you have over costs and quality by using modular construction,” explained Alan. “We believe that these two more controlled variables in our construction processes will allow affordable housing projects to be not only be more affordable to the homeowner, but also the developer allowing for capital to be spared for possibly more future affordable housing projects.”

Whitley Evergreen sites their commitment to quality as the basis for their steady growth over the last 75 years. Alan highlighted this commitment, “One valuable lesson learned is to never sacrifice finishing your work to meet a schedule. Projects can be delayed for a variety of reasons, but the workmanship should never be compromised because of the lack of time.”

With Whitley joining HDC, they are excited to foster more relationships in the affordable housing sector and be a resource for those interested in offsite construction. If you and your team are interested in learning more about Whitley’s process, reach out to Alan for more information. You can also watch our Learn at Lunch with the Whitley team here.

Welcome to the HDC movement, Whitley! We are grateful to have innovative builders like you.

HDC Member Highlight: Square Peg & Weld Seattle

July 22, 2021 in Member Highlight

It is no secret finding a pitch perfect team is difficult. For the owners of Square Peg, Amy and Brady King, this challenge was heightened by the recession and workforce shortages in 2014. Square Peg had the work, the clients, and the partners but desperately needed a complete staff of skilled craftspeople.

By the time the two found their all-star team, they discovered a whole new mission for their vocations.

All of their top candidates had extensive criminal histories. Something that most employers turn away from. However, Amy and Brady looked at each employee seeking a new start and saw each of their potential. “Their stories about reentry and the criminal justice system were so heartbreaking,” Amy said. “One hundred percent of them experienced significant childhood trauma, and they all took responsibility for the decisions they had made.”

Square Peg’s mission grew from building buildings in Seattle to transforming communities through the building of quality spaces and productive people. This mission is proudly the center piece of what they do.

While Square Peg grew, their efforts to support their employees in the reentry process did to. “A job is one thing. It provides a community, a purpose, financial compensation, and independence,” explained Amy, “But there are so many additional barriers to reentry. Housing was definitely the biggest.” At the time, few programs were available for formerly incarcerated people to connect with housing. Despite having a job, many Square Peg employees were struggling to find stable, long-term, and affordable housing.

                       

Thus, Amy, Brady and a number of their staff founded Weld Seattle. Weld is a non-profit with a truly one-of-a-kind approach to housing formerly incarcerated folks. To support employees in finding transitional housing, Amy asked development partners if Square Peg employees can stay in the vacant developments while awaiting proper permitting. In Seattle, buildings can sit vacant 12-18 months waiting for permit approval. In the meantime, developers pay a significant amount in fees throughout that period towards the empty residence. With some convincing, many partners agreed. This unconventional agreement has transformed into Weld’s entire housing model and city legislation.

With support from housing champions on Seattle City Council, the Weld team helped to create legislation to “donate” vacant properties while awaiting permitting for transitional housing. It creates a tax incentive for the properties and waives fees for vacant developments since the space is occupied. Nearly 60% of Weld members have moved from Weld housing into a permanent home.

Weld Seattle has continued to house folks while launching Weld Works which will temporarily place workers in construction and manufacturing companies. So far, Weld Works has placed seventy-nine temporary workers. Forty-eight have moved into permanent employment.

As addressing homelessness is fundamental to their values, Square Peg and Weld are eager to connect with other teams to collaborate on projects in the affordable housing sector. Square Peg’s team not only offers expertise, but also insights with lived experience of resident needs. Square Peg’s goal is to continue to grow more opportunities but also to draw people into the construction workforce. Along with exploring outreach opportunities within prisons, they are looking into apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in partnership with the Department of Corrections.

Within the next year, Weld is opening 1426, a coordinated reentry resource center that brings service providers together. The building, located in the heart of Seattle’s International District, was donated for Weld’s use in 2019 by Sarah and Richard Barton, Founder and CEO of Zillow Group and founder of Expedia and Glassdoor.

The goal of this project is to reduce recidivism rates, homelessness, and addiction by providing a centralized resource center for people already receiving services or involved in programs to ease the transition of formerly incarcerated people into the community. It will offer a space to heal from the trauma that led to member’s involvement in the criminal justice system, along with health and wellness programming, connection to legal resources, mentorship, adult education classes, a construction trades training program, family reunification assistance, connection to public services, and trauma informed yoga, art, and music therapy.

“Having a physical space in the city that allows us to provide comprehensive services to reintegrating citizens has always been part of our dream. Weld was created with the intention of community collaboration. Creating a space where people with lived experience have a voice and a platform to initiate necessary change is the key to our ongoing success in disrupting systemic inequities in Seattle,” explained Amy King. “In a time when the appropriate path to public safety is being questioned, the purpose of 1426 feels more important and relevant than ever. We are so grateful to the Barton’s for their generosity and look forward to identifying other sponsors and partners that can help us achieve our fundraising goal so we can start renovations and implement more programs as soon as possible.”

Square Peg and Weld Seattle welcome HDC members partnership and collaborations in these next projects. To work with Square Peg or to learn more, complete their contact form. To engage in 1426 or Weld’s housing program, reach out to Amy King at [email protected].

Congratulations, LDSC 2021!

June 24, 2021 in Leadership Development

On June 23, we had our final session with our 2021 Leadership Development Survey Course Cohort (LDSC). This year was particularly special (and challenging) with completely virtual programming. We appreciate all our participants who embraced our new platform and course schedule this year with flexibility and grace:

  • Asad Abdi
    African Community & Housing Development
  • Megan Altendorf
    GGLO
  • Jennifer DeFluri
    Plymouth Housing
  • Isaac Horwith
    King County DCHS
  • Joshua Janet
    Catholic Housing Services
  • Chris Keenan
    Seattle Housing Authority
  • Dee Knoff
    SMR Architects
  • Michelle Lambert
    Commmunity Roots Housing
  • Yolanda Long
    Bank of America
  • Sunnie Park
    King County Housing Authority
  • Alberta Read Bleck
    Beacon Development Group
  • Amanda Santo
    Multi-Service Center
  • Jesse Simpson
    Bellwether Housing
  • Dan Williams
    DESC

If you’re interested in the applying for next years’ course, reach out to Loren.

Washington Can’t Wait (on Climate and Housing Goals!)

January 26, 2021 in Housing & Environmental Justice Series

Futurewise works throughout Washington state to encourage healthy, equitable, and opportunity-rich communities. They work to protect our most valuable farmlands, forests, and water resources through wise land use policies and practices, using the tools made available through Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA).

Climate change, housing affordability, and issues of environmental justice are having profound impacts on our environment and communities. Futurewise and HDC recognize these three issues are inherently intertwined, and that by making urban areas affordable and accessible to all through bold affordable housing policy, preventing disproportionate impacts of local pollution on communities of color, and ensuring that cities and counties are planning for climate change.

Futurewise’s new campaign is an opportunity to transform the lives of Washingtonians and the natural environment around us.

Washington Can’t Wait

Futurewise and HDC have been close partners advocating for dense, affordable, and ecofriendly communities. HDC is proud to partner with Futurewise as it builds a grassroots campaign, Washington Can’t Wait (WCW). Working collaboratively with frontline communities, community members, and organizational partners, WCW calls on Washington’s Legislature to pass major changes to the state’s Growth Management Act to include climate change, housing affordability, and environmental justice.

The Growth Management Act is a series of state statutes that requires fast-growing cities and counties to develop a comprehensive plan to manage their population growth. As it stands, Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) doesn’t require city/county comprehensive plans to adequately plan for affordable housing needs or address climate change. The GMA also fails to address issues of social and racial equality in land-use development. Advocates have a brief window to make big changes to the GMA before Washington’s cities and counties embark on their next comprehensive plan updates, which will lock in policy for the next decade.

WCW campaign is an important first step. We simply cannot wait to address some of the biggest crises facing our state today. The way that our state handles land-use planning and development draws profound connections between climate change, housing affordability, and environmental justice.

You don’t need to look too deeply at our state’s housing policy to see the ways in which it has been discriminatory and biased based on race and class. We see this unfolding in our towns and cities as only certain segments of our population are able to afford to live in clean, walkable neighborhoods with easy access to work, school, play, capital facilities and other amenities. Meanwhile, other folks in our communities are pushed into areas where they experience significant health disparities, are overburdened by pollution, face high risks of displacement, have low mobility options and are at an increased risk for being impacted by increasing climate change related hazards.

We don’t need to think far past this summer to see the disparate impacts that wildfire smoke had on our communities, impacting those who are houseless, who live in housing with poor ventilation, and who needed to travel long distances for work most profoundly. These disparate impacts of climate change and environmental hazards will only become more insidious as the climate crisis worsens and housing prices continue to increase across the state.

As a body of legislation that touches everything from land use to housing prices, capital facilities, utilities, critical habitat preservation, transportation and urban sprawl, the GMA can serve as an important tool to leverage to ensure that our cities and counties are planning for just, equitable, affordable and resilient futures. Re-writing the Growth Management Act to address issues of climate change, housing affordability, and the disparate impacts these crises have on our communities will not  solve these issues in their entirety, but it is a necessary part of the equation if we want to seriously address these issues anytime in the next decade.

Get Involved!

Futurewise will need a lot of support from our communities if we want to get these important GMA updates passed this year. If you are interested in being involved, please consider donating, signing our petition, or volunteering with the WCW campaign. To stay up to date on the campaign, legislation, and calls to action as we move through session, you can sign up to receive email updates from Washington Can’t Wait.

One of the most important things you can do to ensure the success of this legislation in 2021 is to contact your legislators to let them know why these GMA updates are important to you, and that you hope they will make them a priority. You can and should take action to contact your legislators via phone, email or social media by using Futurewise’s Legislator Contact Guide.

If you are interested in scheduling a virtual lobbying meeting with your legislators to advocate for these GMA updates, check out Futurewise’s Virtual Lobbying Training and Virtual Lobbying Guide! And reach out to [email protected] if you want to be connected with other volunteer lobbyists in your district.

Are you a member of an organization that may be interested in working with Futurewise on the Washington Can’t Wait Campaign? Check out the WCW organizational sign-on letter and reach out to [email protected] if you want to add your organization’s name.

Let’s Talk eTOD

December 10, 2020 in Blog post, Housing & Environmental Justice Series

In November, we kicked-off our Housing, Equity, and Environment series by discussing density and how it is a key connector between our series’ main topics. Along with denser communities, transit and transportation options will continue to bridge these key topics. Afterall, housing and transportation are often people’s biggest expenses: typical households in auto-dependent neighborhoods spend about 25% of income on transportations. Meanwhile in neighborhoods near mobility options, this statistic drops to 9%.

Equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) is a key player in creating more sustainable, affordable, and socially minded communities.

What is “eTOD”?

Lets break it down starting with the “TOD” part, transit-oriented development. This essentially means building near transit. With more homes and communities near transportation routes, there is less reliance on residents driving to and from where they need to go. Instead, there are transit options near their communities. This includes bus routes, bike lanes, light rail stations, etc.

As King County grows and our freeways clog, policy makers and urban planners are looking to transit-oriented development to capitalize on the intersection and connections of housing and transit. Affordable housing is often located outside of downtown areas and other job dense areas, which leads to longer, burdensome commutes for residents. With transit-oriented development, people are closer to public transit increasing their use and access while at the same time decreasing the financial burden of private transit options.

So, what does equity have to do with TOD? Equitable transit-oriented development will prevent displacement and gentrification in communities that are already located near transit, by creating affordable housing options in these communities.

Leading TOD with Equity

For instance, the King County Light Rail has heightened the risk for displacement for low-income residents in the Rainier Valley and other South Seattle Communities.

To address this concern, the Legislature mandated a new affordable housing policy for the Sound Transit’s surplus land. The 80-80-80 policy required Sound Transit to offer 80% of suitable surplus property to affordable housing developers that make at least 80% of units on site affordable to people earning 80% or less of area median income (AMI). In those cases, Sound Transit can sell land at below market value or even gift the land to affordable housing developers.

“As our transit infrastructure expands, it is vital to make sure that people of all incomes are able to benefit from the increased access and mobility that the light rail provides,” explained Leah Haberman, former HDC staffer.

As you can tell, there are several economic and environmental benefits for eTOD across King County. HDC member projects, like Cedar Crossing, are leveraging the intersection of housing and transit to develop surrounding lands, to connect communities, and increase choice.

Take Action

HDC, along with our eTOD taskforce, supports policies that expand TOD opportunities, but also programs that supplement public transit costs for low-income residents. Reach out to HDC to join our TOD Taskforce.

Furthermore, Vision 2050 will be a blueprint for growth and transportation investments in the four counties in the Puget Sound region. As King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties are projected to add a combined 1.8 million people over the next 30 years, Vision 2050 will guide investments in transportation and focus growth. Next Monday, join HDC, PSRC, King County and other policy leaders, for our Vision 2050 Learn at Lunch. RVSP here to attend.

Pro-Environment, Pro-Density

November 19, 2020 in Housing & Environmental Justice Series, Policy & Advocacy

The Housing & Climate Crises

Take Action for Washington Can’t Wait!

Density is a critical solution to our compounding housing and climate crises. Our region’s housing growth does not meet the scale of our growing population’s needs. To address this sustainably and equitably, we must grow housing options within our current neighborhoods to meet the needs of residents across King County and preserve our local environment. We have a window of opportunity with the Washington Can’t Wait Campaign to take bold action for affordability and environmental justice.

Current estimates report a need of 244,000 additional, affordable homes in King County by 2040 to address our community’s housing gap. Despite our region’s recent economic boom, those with the lowest incomes are being hit hardest. Households making less than 80% average median income are spending over 30% of their income on housing – which leaves very little for food, clothing, and medical expenses. Dense, affordable, and equitable transit-oriented communities are one of the most effective tools we have to address the affordability and climate crises.

Conventional, large detached lots and dispersed housing developments are challenging to maintain and to protect air and water quality. Cities’ are then challenged with financing and maintaining infrastructure for sprawled out communities. This includes schools, utilities, and streets. Dispersed housing cannot support viable public transit, biking, or pedestrian options. The rules that remain unchanged will not address this shortage and could misuse valuable natural resources.

Source: Ashley Zhang, Missing Middle Housing

How do we build “denser”?

As Seattle’s Planning Commission explains, “In the absence of vacant land, new housing must be integrated into the existing fabric of our neighborhoods.” To build denser communities, we need to utilize zoning and land use tools. Zoning policy underlines the connections between housing, the environment, and social justice. Unfortunately, land use laws have remained the same while populations have grown significantly.

More inclusive zoning permits a larger variety of housing types within a specific area or “zone.” These are housing options that can house multiple families per building, such as apartments, townhomes, and duplexes. Such housing options are more affordable for moderate- and low-income renters. Communities like these are critical to ensuring everyone in each city can afford a safe and healthy home.

HDC Member Project: Bob & Marcia Almquist Place

This summer, Portland embraced this solution by passing the “Residential Infill Project,” which permits building new 1-4 homes on any residential lot in the city. As a bonus, if over half the homes are affordable, the limit increases to six per lot.

The Urbanist: Portland Passes Sweeping Zoning Reform

Denser communities will also significantly help King County’s carbon footprint. Building denser housing will help minimize sprawl, protecting and preserving the natural environment. Think: Building up, not out. Plus, less sprawl also leads to shorter commutes and decreased carbon emissions. Multi-family housing, like apartment buildings and -plexes, also reduce energy use as more people are living closer together and sharing amenities. Furthermore, dense communities share natural resources and municipal services, which helps reduce the city’s overall carbon impact.

Zoning and land use tools that can include more housing types will make for more sustainable neighborhoods with mixed incomes.

In Seattle, about 75% of residential land is exclusively zoned for single-family homes. Aside from ADU/DADUs, single-family zoning limits any type of new housing within these zones. This has hindered our climate goals. Lower density communities with single-use developments promote more traffic and longer commutes to jobs and shopping. In 2018, 64% of Seattle’s greenhouse gas emissions came from transportation.

Seattle Commuters During Rush Hour

Mixed-use building is another way we can grow our communities while preserving our local environment. When you see apartments above retail or other services, that is an example of a mixed-use building. It is great for mixed-income levels as well. This is a great solution to the housing and climate crises because it is expanding existing buildings to make the most of that space and facilities. It also produces housing extremely close to retail, reducing the need to drive or hop on a bus, thus residents’ carbon footprint.

HDC Member Mixed-Use Project: Marion West Building

Fixing up abandoned buildings or converting them to residential building can provide housing for lower-income folks while utilizing already-used land.

By advocating for more inclusive housing, we are advocating for more inclusive and greener living. We know that density is not the only thing that needs to be done to solve our climate and affordable housing crisis, but it’s a large component. We must be advocating for sustainable and green solutions in lock step with increase affordability and density.

Take Action

We cannot wait another ten years to tackle climate change, environmental justice, and the housing affordability crisis. This week, Futurewise is hosting a Week of Action for the Washington Can’t Wait Campaign to fight for big changes to the Growth Management Act in three decades. Your support is critical in this effort! Take action by emailing your legislators here and share this opportunity on social media.

Vision 2050 will cover the transportation and planning projections within the King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, which will be a major game changer in the climate/housing conversation. On December 14, HDC is hosting a Learn at Lunch to discuss Vision 2050 and Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs). Register here to attend.

HDC Project Highlight: Cedar Crossing

November 10, 2020 in Member Highlight, Member Services

Congratulations to HDC members, Bellwether Housing and Mercy Housing Northwest, on the upcoming development Cedar Crossing, located in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood. The joint project will feature 254 affordable homes, 91 of which are 2 and 3-bedroom apartments for larger families. There will be on-site resident services. It will also feature on-site affordable childcare and retail spaces on the ground-floor, making the project a mixed-use development.

The development will have housing dedicated to families with children with significant medical needs. This aspect of the development came to fruition through a partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital  and Mary’s Place. Cedar Crossing will also be home to veterans and their families.

The location is another feature to be excited about – Cedar Crossing will be located next to the incoming Roosevelt Light Rail Station! Cedar Crossing includes limited parking and provides storage for at least one bicycle for every unit.

Transit-oriented development—when implemented equitably—can benefit and attract diverse, mixed-income, and environmentally conscious communities. Low-income families in market-rate housing spend on average 60% of their gross incomes on housing and transportation. Equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) ensures that existing land uses and new development support transportation choices for everyone.

Bellwether and Mercy are working with HDC member, VIA Architects, as well as the Berger Partnership Landscape Architects to design the project with community-enhancing spaces.

The project is expected to open its doors as early as Spring 2022. Check out the virtual ground breaking of Cedar Crossing here.

 

HDC Member Highlight: Tiscareno Associates

November 4, 2020 in Member Highlight, Member Services

A thoughtful approach to affordable and workforce housing architecture

We all know that designing affordable housing architecture is a constant balancing act: Owners need optimal space usage within a finite budget and site constraints, while tenants need places of comfort, shelter, and community.

New HDC member, Tiscareno Associates, works diligently to balance these needs and help steward project resources from the start to guide projects through the myriad of questions and tradeoffs of budget, schedule, zoning, and program goals.

The team carefully deliberates over each affordable housing challenge as they help project partners nail down the program, manipulate unit counts, and get everything to work within code and financial constraints.

Site plan for The Reserve at Portage Creek, Arlington, Washington

For example, an affordable housing project for seniors—The Reserve at Portage Creek—needed a residential look and feel that could also anchor to a nearby trail system and a future main street. Tiscareno Associates’ V-shaped design creates a ”village” of seven linked, individual structures that unite residents via communal courtyards and other amenities.

Community space and outside livability are evidenced in the mixed-use workforce housing of The Main Apartments + Lofts. This housing project preserves its locale’s small-town community feel by providing 1600 square feet of retail and 108 apartments in seven small-scale buildings, rather than a single podium-style structure. Interior common areas and an integrated woonerf street invite people to mingle indoors and out.

 

“I’m very much looking forward to getting more involved in the affordable housing community. I know HDC provides a great opportunity to connect with and learn from other architects and developers.”

Mark Stine, Assoc. Principal, Tiscareno Associates

Additionally, Tiscareno Associates’ Solera is a 550-unit mixed-income apartment complex planned for Renton which balances the city’s desire to have a mix of market-rate units and affordable units. The project brings new HDC member, DevCo’s family-oriented affordable housing vision, with a number of larger 4-bedroom units. Tiscareno Associates designed the two buildings, while not identical, to share tripartite facades and a dark neutral color palate, reinforcing the sense of unified community.

When it comes to designing affordable housing architecture for workforces, families, and seniors, Tiscareno Associates understands that a thoughtful approach to all the variables works best for balancing budget, zoning, schedule, maintenance, and tenant livability. To collaborate in the future, whether a yield study, professional opinion or other, email [email protected] for more information.

HDC is glad to have Tiscareno staff as part of our housing community!