This article, published in 425 Magazine, was written by John Stearns.
Bellevue-based nonprofit housing provider Imagine Housing is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties and the city of Kenmore to build a mixed-used development in downtown Kenmore that includes about 121 affordable-housing units through a mix of rentals and condominium-style homes, the parties announced Tuesday.
The Approach at Kenmore, to be located at 7010 NE. 181st St., is expected to include about 103 apartments consisting of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, and 18 homeownership units through Habitat for Humanity. Due to timing of funding cycles, groundbreaking is expected in about 2028, with units ready for move-in by early 2031.
The project, planned across 181st Street from Safeway, is on formerly underutilized land the city sold for $1.5 million at below-market value to Imagine Housing to advance the city’s priority for more affordable housing. The sale closed last month, according to King County records, which showed the 1.1-acre parcel was appraised at almost $3.2 million for the current tax year.
The Approach will be family-focused and include an expansive courtyard, rooftop terrace, community space, and activity spaces for children, according to a news release on the project. It will be Imagine Housing’s largest housing-development project to date, and one that’s creative for its structure that brings two nonprofits together with a municipality in a joint model of affordable rentals and homeownership.
“The Approach at Kenmore demonstrates that innovation and collaboration are key to the effort to build the inclusive, welcoming community we all want,” Yi Zhao, president of Imagine Housing, said in the release. “The city of Kenmore has prioritized housing access and Imagine Housing is thrilled to make good on that vision and bring nearly 120 affordable homes to Kenmore’s downtown core. Permanent affordable housing is central to our shared future. As a longtime Eastside resident — and as an affordable-housing success story myself — I’m especially proud to lead Imagine Housing into this partnership with the city of Kenmore and Habitat for Humanity.”
Imagine Housing is the largest provider of affordable housing based on the Eastside, where it builds homes and fosters stability for more than 1,500 people — families, veterans, single parents, youth, and adults — whose income is below 60% of the area median income, according to its website. It owns and operates 15 apartment communities across the Eastside and it also partners with developers to offer resident programming at three other communities that it does not own or operate.
Including The Approach, Imagine Housing has three projects in planning, including two in Bellevue — Forest Edge on St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church property and Peter’s Ridge on former St. Peter’s United Methodist Church property, both targeted for 2027 groundbreakings.
Kenmore is proud to partner with Imagine Housing and Habitat for Humanity on the project, Mayor Nigel Herbig said in the release. Herbig will proclaim May as “Affordable Housing Month” throughout the city at Monday’s City Council meeting.
Brett D’Antonio, CEO at Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties, added in a statement that his organization “looks forward to contributing to Kenmore’s growth and community by providing affordable home-ownership opportunities in the heart of the city. Together with Imagine Housing, we will create a substantial development of affordable rental and ownership with community services in one location, which is quite unique. We are all in alignment with the belief that everyone deserves a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home.”
The announcement of the new affordable housing comes at a time when housing costs are stressing many families, as shown by figures in the 2025 Out of Reach report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which includes data on each state, including breakdowns by metro area and county.
Having a place to call home and stability for basic needs benefits everyone in the community, the release added.
Meanwhile, the St. Andrew’s project planned for Bellevue is notable for its connection to Imagine Housing. Under a 2024 blog titled “Back to Our Roots in a New Way,” Imagine Housing wrote, “Imagine Housing was founded in 1987 by a small group of highly passionate people who were members of Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church and was called Saint Andrew’s Housing Group at that time. In partnership with the church, we are working to proceed in developing a community affordable for families and individuals on the east side of the church property. This brings us back to our roots in a totally new way, thanks to the advocacy of community members and Bellevue city leadership.”