Community Collaborations

Remembering President Jimmy Carter

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It is with heavy hearts and deep gratitude that we remember former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away yesterday at the age of 100. Together with his wife, Rosalynn, President Carter led by example, working alongside volunteers to build homes and strengthen communities through the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. His unwavering dedication and advocacy transformed the lives of thousands.

“We join with others around the world in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter. The legacy he leaves behind in the Habitat homes he and Mrs. Carter built, and in the progress achieved in the fight for affordable housing and home ownership, will endure for generations to come. May President Carter’s life of service and his spirit of generosity continue to be an example to us all.” —Brett D’Antonio, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties

After leaving the White House, the Carters sought out meaningful ways to continue their commitment to social justice and basic human rights. They first volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Americus, Georgia, near their home of Plains, in March 1984. Later that same year, the Carters joined Habitat volunteers in New York City’s Lower East Side to renovate an abandoned building in partnership with families in need of affordable housing. That trip marked Habitat for Humanity’s first Jimmy Carter Work Project (later renamed the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project). Each year since then until 2019, the Carters volunteered with Habitat to build or improve houses alongside homeowners in communities across the United States and around the world. President Carter also served as a member of the organization’s board of directors from 1984-1987.

“We are deeply saddened by President Carter’s passing, and our prayers are with the rest of the Carter family,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “President and Mrs. Carter began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity near their home in southwest Georgia, soon bringing worldwide attention to the need for decent and affordable housing. We are grateful for the incredible impact the Carters have had on Habitat and on the families who have benefited from their shining example. The Carters put Habitat for Humanity on the map, and their legacy will live on in every family we serve around the world.”

“I think every human being has within himself or herself a desire to reach out to others and to share some of our blessings with those who are in need,” President Carter has said. “What’s opened up that avenue for me and my wife and hundreds and thousands of others is Habitat for Humanity. It makes it easy for us to reach out and work side by side with the homeowner who’s never had a decent house, perhaps. I haven’t been on a Habitat project that I wasn’t thrilled and inspired, and wept.”

Over the last three decades, the Carter Work Project has touched lives around the world by inspiring more than 108,000 volunteers across the U.S. and in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,447 Habitat homes. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has served more than 62 million people around the world.  

In 2016, Habitat named President and Mrs. Carter as the inaugural Habitat Humanitarians for their extraordinary dedication to service in alignment with Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Habitat SKKC will commemorate President Carter’s life of service with local observances. Details will be shared shortly. 

Habitat SKKC Fall Advocacy Update

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Change doesn’t happen all at once – it’s built slowly, through the dedication of people and rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. 

In Washington, recent breakthroughs like passing Middle Housing (HB 1110), ADU legalization (HB 1337), and renewing the Seattle Housing Levy reflect the power of this commitment. As pandemic era funding continues to sunset in 2025, the challenge now is clear: local and state leaders must double down to sustain progress, scale proven programs, and address persistent development barriers.

This fall, Habitat for Humanity SKKC’s advocacy efforts made meaningful headway on several fronts:

  • In King County, we championed support for a revolving construction loan program as part of the County Council’s Workforce Housing Initiative. This initiative has now advanced to the County Executive, marking a big step toward faster, more efficient housing development.
  • In Seattle, our coalition played a critical role in shaping the Comprehensive Plan update to build on statewide reforms. While the updates reflect significant progress, we’re pushing to expand density bonuses beyond Neighborhood Residential zones and refining design standards to keep housing production on track. At the same time, we’re advocating for Payroll Expense Tax funds to directly address housing needs.
  • On the Eastside, our partnerships with the Bellevue Roundtable and Eastside Affordable Housing Coalition spurred important changes. Updates to Bellevue’s Wilburton neighborhood plan will unlock new housing opportunities, and the creation of a dedicated Office of Housing—secured in the latest budget—will streamline and expedite future construction projects.

Looking ahead to the 2025 legislative session, we’re laser-focused on four priorities: expanding investment in proven programs like the Housing Trust Fund and CHIP, implementing solutions to close the racial homeownership gap, establishing dedicated funding tools like revolving construction loan funds, and removing regulatory barriers that slow affordable housing development. With over 300 units in our pipeline, we’re working with legislators to create lasting solutions for affordable homeownership across Washington state.

These achievements – and the work still ahead – represent more than legislative wins; they are tangible steps toward ensuring everyone has a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home.

Please join us in our efforts by signing up for Habitat SKKC’s Advocacy Alerts here.

Habitat Repairs Are Keeping Colleen Stern at Home

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“They came out in the freezing cold to work on my house,” says Colleen Stern of the Habitat repairs crew. “And most of them were women!” 

Colleen, who is a wood carver herself, was delighted to hear young people outside her door wielding power saws and sledgehammers as they tore down and rebuilt her back steps.  “They made it possible for me to stay in my home,” she says with tearful gratitude in her voice.   

Colleen spent 35 years working as a caregiver for hundreds of clients. “I worked with people in hospice, too,” she adds with pride. During that 35-year career, Colleen raised a son with mental health challenges and created an animal sanctuary in the back yard of her Federal Way manufactured home.  But several spinal injuries she sustained in her work ultimately left her with severe pain and unable to walk without a walker or one of her personally carved walking sticks. She couldn’t return to work, and, in fact, found herself in need of her own caregiver.  

Procore

With very little income and living on her own, the natural deterioration on her 1966 vintage home got serious. After one emergency fall, paramedics had to break down the back door to reach Colleen and it remained broken. The back steps she’d built herself long ago were decaying and weren’t level with the door making them dangerous for her to navigate.  The front porch was rotted through, and her back yard wildlife refuge had become overgrown prohibiting her from tending to her beloved squirrels, raccoons, birds, and rabbits.  She simply could not afford the repairs on her fixed income. 

Shortly after she applied for Habitat help, the repairs crew swooped in “like a pile of carpenter ants,” and “did a fantastic job on all the work.” Colleen has always been a hard worker, and she knew how to make all the repairs, but she was no longer physically able to do them herself.  “So, I cooked for the crew,” she says noting with pride that her sourdough pizzas and vegan enchiladas were a big hit. 

With partial funding from a $10,000 AARP grant, the Habitat crew not only fixed Colleen’s stairs in the front and back of her home, but they also cleared a pathway to her animal sanctuary and added grab bars in the bathroom along with a new higher toilet to accommodate her changing needs. And they added fencing around the stairs for safety. 

Colleen’s was one of two Habitat homes that qualified for help from the AARP grant which focused on home modification and assistance to enhance safety for adult homeowners over age 50, allowing them to age in place.  “So now I can walk right up to the door without tripping over,” says Colleen.  “They fixed the door and gave me a lever style handle so I can open the door without falling off the porch.  I couldn’t do that before. They were just so kind.”

If you know anyone in need of critical home repairs, please reach out to us here: Home Repairs – Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties

Habitat SKKC’s Veterans Build Soars Beyond Expectations

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It was two full weeks of solidarity among veterans and volunteers during Habitat for Humanity SKKC’s Veterans Build from November 6 through November 16.  

A total of 170 volunteers joined multiple builds at our Miller’s Creek and Yarrow Cottages developments. Of those volunteers, we welcomed 21 veterans on site. A total of 1,090 volunteer hours were donated and, in the process, they moved both developments forward by leaps and bounds. Volunteer teams built walls, installed subflooring, and helped finish interior trim projects.

Veterans Build was sponsored in part by:

  •  MG2
  • Amazon
  • PRIME Electric 
  • Seahawks Interns 
  • Rosen Harbottle 
  • Slalom Consulting 

Nearly 1.5 million veterans currently pay at least 50% of their income on housing each month, creating a financial strain that makes covering the basics of daily life challenging and puts creating long-term stability through building wealth completely out of reach. Habitat’s Veterans Day Build 2024 moved that stability needle forward for veterans in our region and gave volunteers an opportunity to honor their service in tangible ways. 

To get involved in the next Veterans Build visit: Veterans Build – Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties

Volunteer Opportunities Abound at Veterans Build 2024

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Nearly 1.5 million veterans currently pay at least 50% of their income on housing each month, creating a financial strain that makes covering the basics of daily life challenging and puts creating long-term stability through building wealth completely out of reach. 

Starting on November 6, 2024, Habitat for Humanity SKKC will honor veterans during 12 days of volunteer experiences that bring together veterans, military families and their neighbors.  Aimed at bridging the gap from military to civilian life, Habitat’s Veterans Build 2024 will accelerate completion of projects that offer special homeownership opportunities for veterans.

Experiences like Veterans Build 2024 not only help to ease the transition to civilian life, but they provide fulfilling community engagement for veterans and their families. They help build the critical connections to information and resources needed to re-integrate into life out of uniform. The program welcomes volunteers of all skill levels, ages 16 and older, to work alongside veterans to build affordable housing in our communities while developing lasting relationships with the people who’ve sacrificed to serve our nation.

Habitat’s SKKC’s application process provides opportunities to qualified veteran applicants to leverage their VA loans under a special provision. When a veteran buys a Habitat home, we honor their service by providing them with the tools and support they need to build a stable and prosperous future.  

The goal for this year’s Veterans Build is to raise $35,000 and engage nearly 150 volunteers for 9 group workdays, ending November 16.  With an ideal work group of 20 volunteers per site, we invite volunteers from companies, classes, or organizations that are interested in supporting veterans. Groups already participating in Habitat’s Veterans Build 2024 include: Amazon, Slalom, Seattle Seahawks, Prime Electric, Rosen Harbottle, MG2, and Gypsum Management and Supply. To reserve space for a volunteer group, please contact Alex Wyatt: alex.wyatt@habitatskc.org.

Additionally, Habitat SKKC will host a virtual information session for veterans on Tuesday, November 12. The session will provide details on Habitat’s program qualifications, and out how veterans can apply to the homeownership program. To register, contact Marissa London at marissa.london@habitatskc.org.

To find out more about Habitat SKKC’s veterans homeownership program go to: buyhabitat.org/Veterans.