Blog Articles

We’ve spent the last few days reflecting on Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp’s legacy and the impact he had on Habitat SKKC. With his passing last weekend, we lost a deeply committed champion for fair housing and a longtime collaborator and supporter of our work. His impressive career included serving as Washington state’s longest-tenured Speaker of the House and co-founding and leading the Fremont Public Association, which later became Solid Ground, a nonprofit focused on ending poverty. 

Habitat SKKC staff and volunteers knew him as a dedicated advocate who attended numerous Habitat events—and rarely wanted to be recognized for his work. He often showed up with no warning and stood in the back. While he rarely took credit for his contributions to affordable housing and homeownership, Speaker Chopp’s legacy at Habitat SKKC can be seen in the work he did as a partner on many impactful housing policy efforts.  

He was a co-creator of the Housing Trust Fund (HTF), which has invested more than $2 billion in capital funding to build or preserve more than 58,600 affordable housing units across Washington state. HTF invested funding into our Olympic Ridge project in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.  

Speaker Chopp recently attended our Olympic Ridge groundbreaking, blending in with the crowd gathered onsite. During the program, Habitat homeowner Amber C. held up and spoke about a book called Goals for Seattle: The Report of the Seattle 2000 Commission. She pointed out that the book was written in the 1970s and how it laid out many goals for the City of Seattle. While she spoke, Speaker Chopp started to chuckle to himself. As Amber read from it, she touched on the different great ideas the book had to address problems facing the city. At one point during her talk, Amber asked the crowd which problem still persists in Seattle. When Speaker Chopp answered “housing,” Amber was curious how he knew. 

His response was, “I’m one of the primary authors,” to which everybody in the crowd turned and looked.  

Ryan Donohue, Habitat SKKC’s Chief Advocacy Officer, remembers Speaker Chopp fondly, saying, “He was a community organizer at heart, focused on helping people and making progress every single day. A true community organizer dedicates their life to the community that they’re serving, and they believe in the power of people to be able to move mountains. Frank Chopp was a quintessential community organizer.” 

Speaker Chopp was also a key partner in the coalition that helped pass the Covenant Homeownership Act with bipartisan support. The work of the Black Home Initiative (of which Habitat SKKC is a part), the Housing Development Consortium, Sen. John Lovick, and Rep. Jamila Taylor, who sponsored the bill, resulted in the Covenant Homeownership Program. The program offers a significant downpayment and closing costs for people who were historically discriminated against in Washington state.    

These are merely a few of the impressive contributions to Washington state that Speaker Chopp made in his 30-year career as a legislator. He will be remembered as a humble public servant, a lawmaker who believed in creating bipartisan coalitions, and a tremendous leader for affordable housing. We thank him for all that he contributed to housing advocacy as we strive to honor his legacy in our work.

With spring on the horizon, Habitat SKKC is nearly finished with our annual Winter Warriors season. The Winter Warriors are a group of over 400 people, and many of them are Habitat SKKC’s more seasoned volunteers. They range from retirees to applicants to apprenticeship programs in need of volunteer hours to new homeowners looking to pick up some DIY tips. In addition to working on construction sites, Winter Warriors volunteer their time to repair projects and at our four retail locations.

During this year’s season, which runs from December to March, over 50 new volunteers joined the program. Habitat SKKC caught up with two of them at the Yarrow Cottages site. 

One of the newest volunteers to join the Winters Warrior, Conor B., is actually a returning volunteer. He first learned about Habitat for Humanity in high school and volunteered until he left for college. Once he found himself at a point in life where he was established in his career and had more free time, he wanted to find a way to give back. He rejoined as a volunteer this past December. Conor loves the variety of work and the friendly and knowledgeable Habitat and Americorps staff he has met.

Conor’s favorite part of volunteering for Habitat SKKC is that “no matter how inexperienced you are, there is someone here to cheer you on and show you how to do it.” 

Staying motivated to work outside can be tough on chilly winter days, but he looks forward to seeing the other volunteers and staff. Bonding with them in a setting that’s very different from his professional life motivates him to put on the layers and head outside. “You get to learn how someone’s day is going as you’re building a wall. Plus, you feel like if you don’t show up, you let those people down,” he adds. 

An avid cyclist and outdoorsman, Conor has also contributed his volunteer time to the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, where he worked on trail maintenance and efforts to keep parks and public lands open and available to all. This desire to be outside comes in handy on days he spends at the construction site. In the few months he has been here, he has had the opportunity to learn how to do everything from framing a wall to painting trim and fine detail work—and learning how to use tools and problem solve along the way.  

Conor recommends that interested volunteers who may be intimidated by construction work, “Jump in with both feet! The number of smiles you are going to see when you show up will make you feel welcome.” 

Tracy C., a freelance writer and editor, has volunteered with Habitat SKKC for a year. Her volunteer work on construction sites balances out her time spent editing books and raising her daughter. While she had known about Habitat for Humanity for as long as she can remember, she was inspired to give her time after her friend received Habitat’s housing assistance.

Since joining as a volunteer, she has worked on exterior siding, trim, stairs, beams, flooring, and framing—an experience that brings together all the volunteers. Her initial volunteering took place at Highland Terrace and focused on interior work. Switching to the Yarrow Cottages site and joining at the start of a project meant that Tracy could see how a whole house is put together. She is constantly learning new skills that help demystify the world of building. 

“I don’t feel as intimidated by house projects. The structure of houses is not such a mystery to me anymore. If you make a mistake, you can fix it. Habitat builds confidence in that way,” says Tracy. 

Imagining the families who will live in the houses she builds is easy to do when she sees tangible progress every time she comes back to the site. That keeps her motivated, as does the feeling onsite that building is a team effort.  

As a Winter Warrior, Tracy follows the principle that there is no bad weather, only bad gear and makes sure to wear plenty of layers and brings a hot drink and hot lunch. Her advice to people worried about low temperatures during the Winter Warriors season: “Don’t let a little discomfort keep you from making a difference in your community.” 

If you want to learn more about the program or are interested in joining next year’s cohort of Winter Warriors, visit www.habitatskc.org/winter-warriors. 

Join Habitat SKKC in celebrating Women’s History Month by looking at how women can help build the future. For nearly 40 years, Women’s History Month has honored women’s historic achievements and contributions. This year’s theme is focused on the future: “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.” 

At Habitat SKKC, we believe it’s important to have women leaders on new construction and repair sites. Including women on these teams ensures that all perspectives are represented and helps create a supportive work environment.  

“Women in leadership roles in construction are essential for breaking down outdated norms, fostering a more collaborative and dynamic work environment. This proves that skill, dedication, and expertise are not defined by gender,” says Sarah Rice, Habitat SKKC Construction Project Manager. 

Continuing the theme of inspiring the next generation, the annual Women Build, hosted by Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the country, returns this spring to encourage more women to volunteer in the construction space. This year’s Women Build, the 14^th in SKKC history, takes place April 23-May 10, 2025.  

Nationally, over 60% of Habitat homes have women heads-of-household, and by asking participants to devote at least one day to help build affordable homes, Women Build gives women an opportunity to be proactive in making a difference in their local communities. In turn, women will learn valuable building skills through hands-on lessons from our team and will have the opportunity to meet and spend time with other service-oriented individuals. 

Construction sites can be intimidating, but the welcoming and encouraging environment at Women Build creates space for participants to ask questions and learn new skills, all while being surrounded by colleagues, friends, and peers. While all are welcome to participate, the event centers women to give them the space for collaborative learning they may not otherwise encounter. 

Jessica Schell, Habitat SKKC Repair Project Manager, explains, “It’s important for women to be in construction because everybody’s perspective is necessary. With construction being predominantly male, there are people that haven’t been heard for a huge part of our history—beyond construction and beyond women. I have found that women often bring an openness, an adaptability to change, and a comfort with different voices being heard, especially in this field.” 

As our largest volunteer-led fundraising event, last year’s Women Build raised over $127K in sponsorships, and 300 participants joined us for 25 build, repair, and store volunteer days for a total of 1,950 volunteer hours worked. 

To build excitement for Women Build and provide interested participants the opportunity to ask Habitat SKKC’s team questions and meet other volunteers, we’re hosting a happy hour at Seattle’s Rough and Tumble Pub. 

Both individuals and groups may sign up to participate in Women Build. Save the date for these individual Women Build dates: 

• Yarrow Cottages (South Park) Wednesday, May 7^th; Thursday, May 8^th; & Friday, May 9th 

• Miller’s Creek (Burien): Wednesday, May 7^th; Thursday, May 8^th; & Friday, May 9^th 

We hope you’ll consider joining us onsite to inspire—or become—the next generation of female leaders in construction. 

On April 10, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties (Habitat SKKC), in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center), will welcome Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of The King Center, and academic and bestselling author Richard Rothstein for a special event presented by Habitat’s Home is the Key campaign. From Dream to Reality: Advancing Equity in Homeownership will include keynote addresses from Dr. Bernice A. King and Richard Rothstein before they sit down for a panel discussion centered on affordable housing.  

“Both my father and my mother, Coretta Scott King, believed that dignity is, in part, reflected in how we care for each other’s everyday well-being, including healthy, humane housing. Dignity is also reflected in our concerted efforts to create pathways to affordable homeownership, which builds generational wealth and produces greater educational outcomes. This is critical for defeating what my father called the ‘inseparable twins of economic injustice and racial injustice,” said Dr. Bernice A. King.  

The event falls on the eve of the anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, for which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a vocal proponent. Dr. King’s advocacy for housing justice stemmed from his activism for the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His leadership of the Chicago Freedom Movement laid the groundwork for the Fair Housing Act, which was passed on April 11, 1968, just seven days after Dr. King’s assassination. The groundbreaking legislation prohibited housing discrimination based on protected characteristics including race and national origin and marked an important first step in closing the racial homeownership gap.  

The panel will also include Nicole Bascomb-Green, a member of the core leadership team for the Black Home Initiative (BHI). BHI is a regional effort that seeks to target the racial inequities at the core of the housing ecosystem to increase homeownership among Black households. Habitat SKKC is an active partner in the BHI Policy Network Group. Natosha Reid Rice, Vice President of Housing Opportunities & Mission Engagement for Habitat for Humanity International, will moderate the conversation. The event will take place at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle’s Central District. 

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an instrumental leader in the fight for affordable housing. This event is a tribute to his legacy and a continuation of the conversation of how we can build upon the foundation he and other fair housing advocates have laid,” said Brett D’Antonio, CEO of Habitat SKKC.   

During the event, Habitat SKKC CEO Brett D’Antonio and Dr. Bernice A. King will also unveil the name of Habitat SKKC’s largest single-building development to date—and the largest multi-family Habitat project in the country. When completed in Spring 2028, the building will offer 58 local families earning low incomes the long-term financial stability, independence, and equity-building that affordable homeownership provides.  

From Dream to Reality: Advancing Equity in Homeownership is a local activation of HFHI’s national awareness and fundraising campaign “Home is the Key,” which aims to call attention to the need for equitable access to affordable homeownership in the U.S. In addition to the April 10 event, Habitat SKKC will also host a Community Build Day, an opportunity for members of the community to come together as volunteers to help build homes in Seattle. 

While From Dream to Reality: Advancing Equity in Homeownership is invitation-only, it will be livestreamed for the public to watch here. We hope you will join us for this important and inspiring conversation.