On June 15, four hard-working families got keys to their forever homes in Habitat for Humanity SKKC’s Yarrow Cottages community in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. The air was electric with excitement at the Phase 1 Dedication Ceremony as Rachel Campbell, Habitat’s Retention and Closing specialist, and Blanca Olivera, Senior Program Manager, presented Certificates of Completion to the new homeowners.
New homeowner Samantha Morales captured the sentiment when King 5 TV asked her how it felt to have her own home: “It’s so cool learning all these life skills, let alone that I get my forever home. I get to have stability. And I get to have this awesome generational wealth that is going to be in my family forever.”
These four families each put in over 150 hours of sweat equity to build their homes, and they attended Habitat courses in home maintenance and budget management. Yarrow Cottages will eventually provide homes to 22 more families who will participate in the same process.
Habitat CEO Brett D’Antonio welcomed Habitat Board members, Washington Department of Commerce Homeownership Division Managing Director, Ann Campbell, and Maria Ramirez and Martha Guerrero from the Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition, to share in the festivities and amplify their support for Habitat’s mission of creating safe, affordable housing for everyone. Brett noted that construction costs went up 31% since the start of the Yarrow Cottages project. Permitting fees increased 150%.
“Despite those challenges,” he added, “we continue to respond to the current real estate environment with innovative housing solutions that reduce barriers and expand smart-density options.” In fact, Habitat for Humanity SKKC earned Habitat International’s “Best Innovate Design” award for its rigorous approach to addressing housing equity issues.
Following the blessing of the homes by Rev. Ravon Johnson, dedication attendees toured the Yarrow Cottages homes, which are built with green materials and energy-saving appliances, and have access to parks, schools, and public transportation.
If you know someone who would benefit from a Habitat home, please email apply@habitatskc.org or call 206-86607615.