This year, Habitat for Humanity Seattle–King & Kittitas Counties (Habitat SKKC) celebrates 40 years of creating solutions to the regional housing crisis through permanently affordable homes and critical home repairs.
Habitat SKKC has grown from a pair of small grassroots affiliates into a leader in affordable housing across Washington state. It began in 1986 with the founding of Seattle Habitat and Snoqualmie Valley Habitat (later renamed East King County Habitat). Over the years, the Seattle, South King County, and East King County Habitat affiliates merged and strengthened their regional impact. With the addition of Kittitas County Habitat in 2020, Habitat SKKC became the mission-driven nonprofit it is today. While the organization has evolved, Habitat SKKC remains focused on our mission to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.
We have a lot to feel proud of in our first 40 years. We have constructed or renovated 458 homes and completed 650 home repairs, serving more than 2,600 individuals and families. Today, 76% of Habitat SKKC homeowners still live in their homes, with an average tenure of almost 14 years (three years longer than Seattle’s 11-year average). Our work has been made possible thanks in no small part to our dedicated donors and volunteers. We have mobilized over 600,000 hours of volunteer support on build sites, Habitat Stores, advocacy initiatives, and more. Our advocacy work has resulted in 87 landmark housing policies and $4.35 billion in public funding for affordable housing across the state.
And we’re not done! Recent landmark projects include Liberty Commons, a 58-unit condominium building on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in Seattle, currently the largest single-building multi-family project in Habitat for Humanity’s history, which we’ll complete this year. We will also celebrate the completion of 40 homes in Burien this spring at our Miller’s Creek neighborhood, a signature event of Habitat for Humanity’s annual Home is the Key campaign.
“The housing crisis didn’t emerge overnight, and it won’t be solved overnight, but 40 years of impact shows what’s possible when communities commit to solutions,” said Brett D’Antonio, CEO of Habitat SKKC.
With an additional 257 homes in our construction pipeline through the end of the decade, Habitat SKKC stands ready to build on its legacy and serve approximately 200 families each year by 2029. By constructing more and better homes and transforming housing policies, Habitat SKKC will continue to work toward its vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
There will be opportunities throughout the year for our community to join us in celebration. Anniversary festivities include benefit concerts, dedications of the Miller’s Creek and Liberty Commons neighborhoods, the Beyond the Build luncheon, and a panel on the future of affordable housing. We will also share stories from families impacted by affordable homeownership throughout our 40-year history. Details on events will be released throughout the year on the Habitat SKKC website and our social media.
In celebration of this milestone, we are also creating a time capsule to capture the stories and moments that have defined our community. We encourage our supporters to contribute photos and written reflections that highlight their connection to Habitat SKKC. Anyone can participate by sharing a favorite photo from a Habitat experience, writing about a memorable moment, or describing what homeownership means to them. Submissions can be emailed to connect@habitatskc.org with the subject line “Habitat Time Capsule.” Selected contributions will be included in the time capsule, which will be sealed this summer and opened on Habitat SKKC’s 60th anniversary in 2046.
Thank you to our entire community for helping make 40 years of impact possible. The generosity, partnership, and belief in the power of affordable homeownership have shaped every home, every family, and every future we’ve helped build. This milestone belongs to everyone who has supported this work over the past four decades.