Chris Grant, a 74-year-old Renton native, was worried about how he would pay for needed repairs on the home he’s occupied since 2006. His 40-year-old carpet was causing him breathing problems and some of the home’s exterior features were dangerously deteriorating.
The steps outside of his house had pulled away allowing rain to pour into his crawl space, and they were treacherously slippery. Rotting wood on the exterior of his home needed replacement to prevent further damage; and he could no longer climb a ladder to clean his gutters. “The prospect of fixing these problems was wearing on me for a couple of years,” he shared.
Procore
This summer, Chris became curious about Habitat for Humanity vans he saw at some of his neighbors’ homes, “Then, somebody left a Habitat flier on my doorknob, and I contacted Ms. Madison.” Madison Vernon, Habitat’sHomebuyer Selection Program Coordinator, walked Chris through the application process. Habitat staff and AmeriCorps volunteers started repairs on his home just a few weeks later. Chris was surprised at the speed of the process, only about six weeks from start to finish. “I was fortunate that my request went in at the same time they were working on my neighbors’ houses,” he said.
The Habitat/AmeriCorps crew did, indeed, apply efficiency in Chris’ Renton neighborhood. They worked simultaneously on his home and three others nearby, which allowed them to tackle similar and specialty projects on all four homes at once. Chris was pleased with the work they did on his home, from replacing rotting wood on the outside to closing a leak caused by a gap in his front steps and replacing that old carpet with laminate flooring. They even trimmed an overgrown bush that was encroaching on his house.
“The place looks like a million bucks now…all the way to the sidewalk,” he said. And much of that old worry is relieved. “Thanks be to God Habitat came around and took away a lot of that agony.” All told, the repairs Habitat staff and AmeriCorps volunteers applied to Chris Grant’s home would total nearly $9,500, which he received at a fraction.
Now a ‘lighter,’ Chris Grant can be seen photographing favorite scenes around his hometown… when he’s not cuddling with his beloved 4-year-old rescue pup, Coco.
To learn more about Habitat SKC’s Repairs program helping low-income individuals address critical home repairs while allowing seniors to “age in place” click here.
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties is pleased to introduce the newest members of its Board of Directors, starting with news of the appointment of Kat Sims as Board Chair in 2022. We would not be as successful of a Habitat for Humanity affiliate without the hard work and dedication of these individuals and we are honored they have chosen to support our mission of ensuring everyone has a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.
Kathleen “Kat” Sims – Board Chair
Kat Sims has been a Habitat for Humanity SKKC Board Member since July 2018 and was appointed Board Chair in 2022. Sims is an attorney at Fikso Kretschmer Smith Dixon Ormseth PS and former executive director at Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). Her career has been dedicated to addressing issues at the intersection of real estate, land use, sustainability, and the environment. She has counseled many of the Northwest’s well-known developers and later served in vice presidential roles for Plum Creek Timber Company and its 2016-merged company, Weyerhaeuser. After graduating from University of Illinois, she earned her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law.
Abby Solomon – Board Member
Abby Solomon has been driving awareness, advancement, and improved treatment for low-wage workers and disenfranchised populations for more than 20 years. As Executive Director of SEIU 775 Benefits Group, she’s transforming in-home care through portable training, health, retirement, and job-matching benefits. Solomon earned her Master of Social Work from Brown School at Washington University and a bachelor’s in Sociology from Humboldt State University. She became a certified home care aide in 2020.
Lucas DeHerrera – Board Member
As a manager of land use and permitting for Blueprint Capital, Lucas DeHerrera provides project feasibility studies and permitting services for its member builders. He previously spent 14 years at Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development, seven of those as a senior land use plan reviewer. DeHerrera is drawn to causes that support social action, economic empowerment, and poverty alleviation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Community, Environment & Planning from the University of Washington.
Elena Harnish – Board Member
A Certified Financial Planner™, Elena Harnish has held various securities licenses, as well as credentials as a life insurance, disability, and long-term care agent. She has worked in financial services since 2000. Currently, Elena is a stay-at-home mom to her two young daughters. Like Habitat’s mission, Elena is passionate about causes that provide individuals and families pathways to permanent housing. In addition to her Habitat service, she also serves on the Board of the Harnish Family Foundation.
Claire Verity – Board Member
As the Washington market president for Regence Blue Shield, Claire Verity brings her strategic vision for work grounded in partnerships, collaboration, equity, and growth. She has long served on Northwest nonprofit boards, including Northwest Center, All Hands Raised, and the American Heart Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington. She was honored as a 2021 Women of Influence in Washington. Verity earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications and Leadership from St. Catherine University.
Kirstin Sandaas – Board Member
Kirstin Sandaas brings her significant financial acumen to the Habitat Board. Her career spans 16 years with Saltchuk Resources, 13 of those spent at its subsidiary Foss Maritime as CFO. Prior to that, Sandaas worked at Optiva Corporation (makers of the Sonicare toothbrush) and various public accounting firms. She retired in May 2021 as CFO at the Seattle Foundation and currently serves on the boards of the Perigee Fund and the Northwest Maritime Center. She holds graduate and undergraduate accounting degrees from the University of Washington.
Kristin Frossmo – Board Member
Kristin Frossmo is an accomplished retail executive, with a history of leading complex, customer-focused businesses over the past twenty years at Nordstrom. She is passionate about solving problems for consumers, building and leading high-performance teams, and driving innovation and growth. Frossmo also serves as Co-Chair of the Seattle Walk to End Alzheimer’s and is a Club Advisory Board member for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
Jen Creighton – Board Member
Jen Creighton is the owner of Brightpath Consulting. With more than 20 years of experience working in development and construction projects in the Greater Seattle area, Creighton has a vast network of partners in the design, development, and construction industries. Born and raised in Seattle, Creighton is a graduate of the University of Washington Construction Management program and Seattle University Executive Leadership Program and Executive MBA programs.
David Hackney – Board Member
David Hackney is the State Representative for Washington’s 11th state legislative district and is a committed advocate for all people. An admitted member of the Washington State Bar, Hackney has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the Department of Justice, taught trial advocacy at the National Advocacy Center, and practiced as a war crimes prosecutor at The Hague in the Netherlands while working with the United Nations. Hackney is an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Law, on the boards of Tabor 100 and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Foundation, and a Commissioner on the Washington Human Rights Commission.
Patience Malaba – Board Member
Patience Malaba is the Executive Director of the Housing Development Consortium (HDC) of Seattle-King County, a 200-member association focused on affordable housing. She has a proven track record for developing strategic partnerships, effective advocacy, and a deep knowledge of housing policy. Patience co-chairs Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC)’s Regional TOD Advisory Committee, Chairs the Seattle Redistricting Commission, co-Chairs the Eastside Housing Roundtable and serves on the PSRC Growth Management Policy Board. She is the recipient of the Bullitt Foundation Environmental Fellowship Award, Homestead Community Land Trust’s Cooper Legacy Award for the Black Home Initiative policy advocacy work to increase black homeownership and the Driver’s Union Innovators for Fairness Award.
Alex Wu – Board Member
Alex is a principal at the law firm Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson PS and an experienced trial lawyer, focusing his practice on business, securities, and real estate litigation. In real estate and land use matters, Alex works with clients to resolve issues as they arise and document their property rights. Before attending law school and joining HCMP, Alex worked in the biotechnology industry as an entrepreneur and research scientist working on computational biology, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical target discovery, and development of biological threat detection devices for defense and national security applications.
At our Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Night at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Ballard in December, Habitat for Humanity SKKC celebrated the volunteers, donors and advocates who form the engine that drives our affiliate’s success. Because of the contributions made in 2022 by Habitat volunteers, donors, and advocates, 50 King and Kittitas County families who couldn’t otherwise own their own homes are eligible for homeownership in 2023. And that’s only the beginning.
In more than 30,000 hours of donated time and work, our volunteers were able to build, renovate, and repair 74 homes last year. Volunteers who staffed Habitat stores sold over 400,000 items the proceeds of which provide financial support to augment all that hard work. The hours and results testify to the joy of working with others to create safe, affordable homes for people from all walks of life.
And some volunteers received special recognition for going above and beyond in 2022 – the following individuals were recognized as Habitat “All Stars.”
Mary Castillo – Habitat Stores Volunteer of the Year
Nancy Blase – Homeowner Services Volunteer of the Year
Beverly Skeffington, Diane Lampe, Terie McCunn – Construction Volunteers of the Year
Gary Fallon – 2022 Habitat SKC Volunteer of the Year
At the event, Habitat inaugurated the Manny Weiser Volunteer Service Award named in memory of long-time volunteer Manny and the incredible dedication and supportive attitude he brought to the work site every day. The first winners of this award for exceptional service are an itinerant team of young adults from Christian Public Service. This group travels the country fulfilling six-month service terms at places like hospitals and nursing homes. Habitat has benefited from their help and expertise on our build sites twice a week for many years.
If these people and their accomplishments inspire you, now is the perfect time to reach out and reap the joy of volunteering. Simply email volunteer@habitatskc.org to learn more, and with luck, Habitat will be celebrating your impacts in the years ahead!
The greater Seattle metro region is a hotbed of housing experimentation right now.
In many different cities, people are talking about new ideas, new approaches to this problem of how to build enough housing without tearing apart vulnerable communities in the process.
Our third stop is in Renton, where Wanda M. recently purchased a home from Habitat for Humanity.
You may be familiar with Habitat — they’ve been building affordable single family homes since the 1970s. But there’s something new they’re doing now that adds another solution to the mix: they’re building something called “missing middle housing.” We’ll get to that in a minute.
Wanda M. was already crowded with two teenaged daughters and a small dog named Jiffy in their two-bedroom apartment on Beacon Hill when their family added yet another member.
Hurricanes and an earthquake had left her father in Puerto Rico sick and isolated. Maldonado took him in.
“It was time, it was past time,” she said.
But where would she put him? She tried stuffing him into a shared room with daughters, who were already at each others’ throats, “fighting over clothes, and don’t touch this.” It didn’t work.
Thanks to her careful financial habits, she was pre-approved for a $400,000 home purchase. But she kept getting outbid on everything.
Luckily for her, Habitat for Humanity in King County had made a strategic change that allowed it to serve a lot more people. They decided to stop building single-family homes and focus exclusively on duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, row houses, and small condo buildings. That’s “missing middle housing,” the kind of housing serving middle-income families that’s been missing from the market.
Brett D’Antonio is the CEO of the local Habitat branch.
“It’s about how can we have the greatest impact. If we were to find and secure single-family lots, we’d only be able to help a handful of families a year.”
– Habitat SKC CEO Brett D’Antonio
But by developing only in areas that have up-zoned to accommodate density, “whether it’s townhomes or stacked flat condos, we’re able to build 50 or more homes a year.” she said her four-bedroom row house has solved many of her problems, and that everyone now has their own rooms.
Habitat has started investing heavily in communities that allow missing middle housing options. In fact, it’s new zoning rules allowing things like backyard cottages that have drawn Habitat back to Seattle, where’s they’re now investing heavily after years of avoiding the city. They’ve been working on a South Park project that replaced a single-family home with 13 small homes, and recently completed another multifamily project in Lake City.
On Wednesday, December 14, Habitat SKKC’s Chief Advocacy Officer Ryan Donohue joined Patience Malaba, Executive Director, Housing Development Consortium (HDC) and Dan Bertolet, Director of Housing and Urbanism for Sightline for the panel discussion “Prioritizing Affordable Housing in the 2023 Legislative Session.” Moderated by Ross Reynolds this was the first in a series of online discussions on affordable housing led by Habitat SKC’s advocacy team. To watch the full event click here.
At HDC, Patience Malaba leads a consortium of over 200 members working throughout King County in cross sector partnerships to effectively address the affordable housing crisis. HDC’s mission is to develop resources that provide access to affordable housing for low-income people. Dan Bertolet directs Sightline’s Housing Program, one part of the organization’s mission to make the Pacific Northwest a global model for sustainability. Sightline’s offices in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska work with the Seattle staff on reforming democracy, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and supporting sustainable forestry.
Both organizations’ missions dovetail with Habitat’s long-standing mission to build a more safe, affordable place for everyone to call home. All three panelists cited the recent Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) housing report as evidence that the state and county are significantly behind in housing production to meet current and future needs. When it comes to legislative action, all three will tackle changes to zoning laws as the critical first step in addressing the housing crisis.
Patience said HDC will support legislation to change zoning policies, “… but that doesn’t address all the equitability concerns.” Ryan echoed that notion. “Ending exclusionary zoning policies will be critical during this legislative session. We’re more segregated as a community today than we were at the end of redlining. In large part that’s because of the way we’ve used our land use codes.”
Dan referenced Sightline’s early focus on “Smart Growth,” which emphasizes the environmental side of development. Ten years ago, their focus shifted to make smart growth affordable. But the biggest obstacle to making that work was restricted zoning laws that said you can’t build housing near jobs. “So, we started examining policies and found the major culprit is single family zoning, which mandates detached housing on large lots.” Most cities, Seattle included, set aside nearly ¾ of their land for single family housing. Those zoning policies, passed in the 1950s, are not compatible with the current need for compact communities and multi-family housing production.
5 Key Takeaways from the Panel Discussion
The state of housing is bad. The region needs over 800,000 new units through the year 2050 to accommodate housing needs. Ryan Donohue: “Home affordability is out of reach for basically everybody – particularly those who’ve never owned a home before. The average home price in King County is $760,000 and $810,000 in Seattle, while Eastside costs are $1.4 to $1.5M. Current zoning laws exclude people of color from being able to access home ownership. Under current zoning laws, we cannot close the racial wealth nor homeownership gap.
The 2023 Legislative priorities to address the housing crisis form a 3-legged stool. Dan Bertolet: “In 2019 we started with a bill that would make ADUs easier to build; that’s the gentlest way to add density to a neighborhood.” Needed are additional zoning reforms, such as an ADU bill, a bill to allow lot splitting, a bill to remove parking requirements with new housing along with legalizing middle housing types and higher density building near transit hubs.
In the area of funding and subsidies, HDC supports a Real Estate Investment Tax (REIT) on $4 and $5M homes aimed at producing an additional $225 million dedicated to the State’s Housing Trust fund. On laws that protect renters, a Housing Benefits District Bill calls for $60 billion to create infrastructure in support of mixed communities built near transit throughout the State.
Governor Inslee’s proposed 2023 budget shows he sees this as The Year of Housing Patience Malaba: “The housing crisis cannot wait for slow or small action. If it’s done right, the budget should include hundreds of millions in permanent support of housing and housing stability.” The Governor’s proposed budget includes:
Bipartisan support for affordable housing legislation is possible, even in a polarized legislature.
Ryan Donohue: “It’s important to note that both caucuses are on record as saying we need to address the housing crisis. Separation occurs at ‘how’ to get there. We’ll likely see robust support for affordable housing funds, and it’ll be interesting to see where the totals land.”
Patience Malaba: “I do believe there is bi-partisan understanding that we are in a housing crisis. I still hope for the goodness of humanity. We need to continue to help people be in a place where there’s a gravitational pull toward collaboration.”
Dan Bertolet: “We are strategizing these bills to encourage Republican support. We have some history of bi-partisan success. The Apple Health & Homes Bill had bi-partisan cooperation.”
It’s going to take everyone to support these bills.
Ryan Donohue: “To overcome opposition, we’ll bring your voices to the table to talk as much as we can about these bills. Get involved and take action. Signup for Habitat Legislative alerts, HDC Legislative Alerts and Home WA alerts. There is significant hope.”
Patience Malaba: “HDC is working with community groups to strengthen coalitions and work with legislators on building consensus.”
Dan Bertolet: “Local representatives are often opponents of these bills. If you’re connected to your local electeds, get those who support these bills to talk in their favor.”
On January 31, 2023, Habitat for Humanity SKC will participate in a panel at the King County Affordable Housing Symposium taking place in person at the Crossroads Community Center from 9 – 11:30 a.m. Habitat Digital Event Series host Ross Reynolds will moderate a panel on Collaborating and Leading the Way for Housing Affordability. For more information or to register click here.
