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Imagine you are transitioning out of homelessness and moving into Arbora Court. You feel a sense of security using your new key to unlock your apartment and then locking your door behind you. Once inside, you walk into your living room where a couch invites you to sit and relax. You turn around and see a matching set of dishes on your kitchen table – not a plastic cafeteria tray or a brown paper sack. Next you notice a brand new set of pots and pans on the stove, and you can’t wait to make your favorite soup – a simple comfort you’ve missed for a long time. Then you walk down the hall and the colorful shower curtain hanging in the bathroom catches your eye. Lastly, you walk into your bedroom and lay down on a bed covered in a soft blanket and plush pillows. You can already tell that you will sleep soundly here, knowing you have a safe home. This is the experience Bellwether Housing wants for people transitioning out of homelessness and into Arbora Court. Forty formerly homeless households will move in over the coming months, and we want them to feel a warm welcome by walking into fully furnished and outfitted apartments. You can help our new residents experience the comforts of home. There are several ways to help out: · You can make a donation towards furnishings or home essentials. · You can purchase items from our Ikea registry or our Amazon.com registry. · You can go out and purchase items based on the lists we've created. Whether you can outfit an entire apartment or buy a set of sheets, you can help bring the comforts of home to families exiting homelessness and moving into Arbora Court. #ArboraCourt #ComfortsofHome #Seattle

Bellwether Housing will celebrate the opening of our new Arbora Court Apartments with our staff, new residents, and community members on Monday, May 7th at 10 AM. With 133 affordable homes, Arbora Court is Bellwether's largest development to-date. 40 of the apartments have been set aside for families transitioning out of homelessness, and 53 of the homes are two or three bedroom apartments. Building tours and refreshments will be offered following remarks from community leaders and visionaries in Arbora Court's development. The celebration will take place in Arbora Court located at 4750 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 in Seattle's University District. Please RSVP here if you plan to join us. #AffordableHousing #homelessness #ArboraCourt #UniversityDistrict #Seattle

Boys & Girls Clubs of King County announced on March 12 that it has sold its North Seattle (Greenwood) property to Bellwether Housing. Through this process, they have also entered into a partnership to offer youth programming at the location in the future. “For the past 6 years, we have seen substantial growth in our North Seattle Boys & Girls Club membership and at the same time, our building is rapidly aging. As we look to the future, we want to ensure that our kids continue to receive high-quality programming in a facility that can meet their needs,” said Dr. Lisa Chin, President/CEO at Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. “By partnering with an organization like Bellwether, we are looking to continue to offer youth programs on-site after the development, while also creating more affordable housing options for our kids and their families,” added Chin. Bellwether Housing, which owns and operates 2,100 affordable housing units in 32 buildings, will redevelop the property located at 8635 Fremont Ave. N. as affordable housing and work with Boys & Girls Clubs of King County to create a space to continue to offer programs in the future. “This partnership exemplifies our mission of creating stable communities and access to opportunity through housing,” said Bellwether Housing CEO Susan Boyd. “Boys & Girls Clubs’ innovative and transformative programming will be a perfect complement to the family housing we plan to build in the Greenwood community.” The North Seattle Boys & Girls Club will continue to operate in its current location while Bellwether pursues community input and establishes a development plan. About Boys & Girls Club of King County: Boys & Girls Clubs of King County mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.​ Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe, affordable, and fun place for kids and teens during critical out-of-school time. They offer life-changing programs and services to youth throughout the greater Seattle area. Learn more at positiveplace.org. About Bellwether Housing: Bellwether Housing develops and manage homes for people with limited income near job centers, transit, and services. Bellwether develops, owns and operates housing for low-income individuals, families, seniors and households transitioning out of homelessness --in total, 2,100 units in 32 buildings throughout Seattle, including 2 buildings (~200 units) that will be opened this spring. Bellwether also develops housing and community service facilities for other nonprofit organizations in the greater Puget Sound region. #Seattle #Greenwood #BoysGirlsClub #Youth #affordablehousing

Bellwether Housing flexed its advocacy muscles earlier this month when we turned out nearly 20 staff members, board members, and residents to Washington State Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day in Olympia. The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA) brought together hundreds of housing advocates from across the state to make our presence and policy agenda known on at the State Capitol. Bellwether Housing attendees met with their districts’ legislators to share stories of why affordable housing matters and what bills we want to see made into law to ensure that all Washingtonians have a safe and affordable home. The day also included workshops to hone our advocacy skills and a rally on the Capitol steps during which hundreds of voices joined together to call for ending homelessness and housing all Washingtonians. Bellwether Housing has stayed active in advocacy recently by turning out staff and board members to hearings to speak in favor of developing affordable homes on surplus land in Fort Lawton and to support Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability Program. Want to get involved in housing advocacy yourself? To start taking action, visit the websites of our partners the Housing Development Consortium and WLIHA. #advocacy #Olympia #AffordableHousing

In neighborhoods as diverse as First Hill, Roosevelt, and Wallingford, residents are banding together to voice their concerns about development - but it’s not what you might think. These community members aren’t arguing about the scale and height of new buildings or the loss of neighborhood character. These neighbors are coming together to advocate for Seattle’s future - and it’s a denser one with ample affordable housing. Roosevelt and First Hill saw a tremendous opportunity when the Sound Transit board made surplus land it owned in those neighborhoods available for affordable housing development. The Roosevelt Neighborhood Association (RNA) wanted to ensure that the community’s values influenced how Sound Transit selected the developers of the surplus land near the forthcoming Roosevelt Light Rail Station. Under the guidance of its Land Use Chair, Jay Lazerwitz, the RNA secured a grant to do a thorough community outreach process that included public meetings and focus groups. Out of that engagement came a set of Community Principles. “We really wanted 100% affordable housing. We wanted family units. We wanted public spaces, daycare, different uses. Those all got put in the Community Principles, which I think are amazing,” Lazerwitz said. Roosevelt’s Community Principles are deeply reflected in Bellwether Housing and Mercy Housing Northwest’s winning proposal for the site, which will build 245 apartments affordable to people making below 60% of the Area Median Income. 103 of the units are two or three bedroom apartments. The ground floor will offer retail space, a Sound Child Care Solutions affordable, bilingual daycare, and a public plaza. Scott Cooper, President of the RNA, asserts that the input of his community was taken seriously by Sound Transit and thoroughly incorporated into the selection process for the developer of the site. “It never felt like there was lip service. It felt like there was honest inclusion,” Cooper said. Neighbors on First Hill, Seattle’s densest neighborhood, joined together in a similar visioning process for the Sound Transit parcel in their neighborhood. Alex Hudson, Executive Director of the First Hill Improvement Association, sums up the values that emerged from their community meetings. “Our organization, and myself personally, are extremely dedicated to access and to sharing this place with everyone,” Hudson said. “I truly, truly believe in the bottom of my heart that it is our moral obligation to ensure that investments that are made in creating a beautiful and functional neighborhood ought to be shared by the greatest number of people possible.” Today, First Hill residents see their Community Priorities manifested in Bellwether Housing and Plymouth Housing Group’s joint development plan for the Madison/Boylston project. The two organizations will build the first affordable housing high rise in Seattle in 50 years. Its 13 stories will create 111 affordable homes for formerly homeless seniors operated by Plymouth and 197 affordable homes for families and individuals operated by Bellwether. The building will also feature ground floor retail, a community meeting room, and supportive services for residents. Neighborhood advocacy helped ensure economic diversity among the new neighbors expected to grow First Hill’s population by 68% over the next five years. In Wallingford, deep differences of opinion about the merits of the City of Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) have welled up over the past few years. One side worries that HALA’s rezones in Wallingford’s urban village will destroy historic character, tree canopy, and naturally occurring affordable housing. Other residents support re-zoning parts of Wallingford to allow for greater density and a wider variety of housing options – rights developers will get in exchange for either building affordable units into their buildings or paying a fee that will support affordable housing developments citywide. In early 2017, the group Welcoming Wallingford formed with a mission of fostering a productive dialogue about the future of the neighborhood, making space for more people tell their stories and share their perspectives, and working together to build a stronger and more welcoming community. Jessica Westgren, a Welcoming Wallingford member who rents in the neighborhood, describes how her group’s education and advocacy missions blend together. “We always try to send a representative to any public testimony or speaking moment when we can let people know that Wallingford is not comprised of the single sided conversation you generally hear from newspapers. We feel that the more we let people know that we exist, and that we are for affordable housing and we are for density changes, then maybe people who are in the grey area will come and talk to us,” Westgren said. Conversations about affordable housing and density are not merely conversations about what gets built in a neighborhood. They are conversations about who can live in a neighborhood and who feels welcomed in a neighborhood, explains Ben Anderson, a Welcoming Wallingford member who owns a home in the neighborhood. “A welcoming community means that you’re accepting of people from different walks of life,” Anderson said. “If you only have million dollar homes on your street, your community is welcoming to people who can afford a million-dollar home. Having all kinds of housing for people at different points of life and different income levels is a requirement [for an inclusive community]. It’s about recognizing that neighborhoods are made up of people, not buildings.” Hudson sums up the shift in mindset that is motivating people to come to terms with growth and advocate that their neighborhoods include homes for people from all walks of life and income levels. “Not only is there a great understanding of the need, there is an understanding that there is plenty here to share, and there are people who really believe that they have a responsibility and an obligation to not pull that ladder up behind them in terms of access to opportunities,” Hudson said. #affordablehousing #density #HALA #MHA #Seattle #Wallingford #FirstHill #Roosevelt #SoundTransit #advocacy

Helping Bellwether Housing residents achieve housing stability, live with independence, and stay in good health is a job that requires compassion, adaptability, and creativity. It’s a job that Lead Resident Services Coordinator (RSC) Samantha Hill excels at. Samantha has worked as an RSC at Bellwether’s Security House, a building for low-income seniors in Belltown, since fall 2013. She describes some of her job as “performing granddaughter tasks” - helping residents without a close-knit support network with the small things that a family member or friend would typically do. She will help residents figure out a bus route, sort out confusing medical bills, and complete paperwork for public benefits like Medicare and food stamps. Samantha finds that by learning about residents’ pasts, families, and interests she is better prepared to help them when they go through a rough patch or face tough decisions that come with aging. Samantha assists residents with everything from ensuring they have the right level of caregiving after returning home from a hospital stay to finding resources to help them modify their homes and daily routines to be safer as they age. “Our services in Seattle are vast, however, they are constantly changing due to funding and man-power,” Samantha said. As a result, much of Samantha’s job revolves around identifying community resources useful to residents and then connecting residents to the services that can help them. It’s an important function since navigating the social service system can be a daunting task for residents, especially for those with limited English proficiency and other barriers. Samantha not only links residents to resources out in the community. She brings them right to Security House. For example, Samantha was instrumental in bringing onsite medication management coaching with Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group to Bellwether’s senior buildings. This program offers residents monthly guidance in how to safely and most effectively take and store their medicines. Over the last year, RSC's have helped residents nearly 1,600 times. You can learn more about the program, hear from Samantha and meet some Bellwether Housing residents in this short video. #affordablehousing #seniors #ResidentServicesCoordinator #aging #socialservices

Bellwether Housing is pleased to announce the addition of Pete Miller to our Board of Directors. Pete was born and raised in Seattle and attended Roosevelt High School. He obtained his undergrad degree and law degree from the University of Washington. Following law school, Pete worked as a litigation attorney at the Seattle law firm of Bogle and Gates and as a transactions/Human Resources attorney at Microsoft. After leaving Microsoft, Pete spent his time on real estate/businesses investments, non-profit board work and philanthropy. In 2005, Pete (and partners) purchased The Essential Baking Company where he still serves as Chairman. Over the past few years, Pete has become active in the local social impact investor community as a founding member of the Seattle Impact Investor Group and current Chairman of the Impact HUB Seattle. Pete and his wife also work to promote a local sustainable and equitable food system as investors, philanthropists and policy advocates. Pete also spends time mentoring and meeting with the next generation of social impact investors/business owners. When asked what inspired him to join the board, Pete explained “I joined in order to do my part to help Seattle retain a diverse community of citizens. Given escalating housing costs, we are fast approaching the point where teachers; police/firefighters; retail, food and restaurant workers; seniors; and many others are unable to afford to live in Seattle. That would be a huge irreparable loss to our City.” Pete also enjoys all the usual outdoor Pacific Northwest activities (e.g. hiking, skiing) and still competes as an elite (age group) level cyclist.

Bellwether Housing is thrilled to share news that the Sound Transit Board authorized their staff to begin negotiations to transfer two parcels of surplus land at zero-cost for the development of 550+ units of affordable housing to our organization in partnership with Mercy Housing and Plymouth Housing Group. The first site, located at 6600 Roosevelt Way NE, will be jointly developed by Bellwether and Mercy Housing Northwest. The development plan includes approximately 245 one-, two- and three-bedroom affordable housing apartments, 100 percent of which will be reserved for low-income residents. Additional community-enhancing features include retail space, a daycare, community room and a through-block, pedestrian-friendly public gathering place that will connect to the light rail station. The second site, located at 1400 Madison Street, will be jointly developed by Bellwether and Plymouth Housing Group. The plan proposes a 13-story building. Plymouth would own the first five floors of the building delivering approximately 111 units affordable to households making 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) or less and target senior citizens transitioning out of homelessness. Bellwether proposes owning floors six thru thirteen, adding an additional 197 units for households earning 30 and 60 percent of AMI, with 30 of these units sized for families. “We knew these sites needed bold, creative proposals,” said Susan Boyd, Chief Executive Officer of Bellwether Housing. “We are leveraging density, a mix of affordable housing types and the strengths of our partner organizations to accomplish something very special in these locations. We are incredibly grateful to Sound Transit for the opportunity.”

Read about our new Comforts of Home campaign, the progress on our new buildings, and a young artist making her home at a Bellwether building in South Lake Union. #ComfortsofHome #SouthLakeUnion #Seattle #AffordableHousing #UniversityDistrict #BrookeGladstone

Please join us in welcoming Cheryl DeBoise to the Bellwether Housing Team. Cheryl is serving in the role of Chief Operations & Financial Officer. Cheryl is a proven leader who brings to the position a deep knowledge of financial management and affordable housing. Cheryl comes to the position with more than 25 years of leadership experience, including as Assistant Vice President of the University of Washington’s Financial Transformation program; Executive Director of Plymouth Housing Group; Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a division of Lockheed Martin; CFO for Ventura County Credit Union; CFO for Impact Capital, and Regional Business Manager for the debit card processing division of Electronic Data Systems. She has served on the boards and finance committees of several nonprofit organizations. Cheryl graduated from the University of Washington Business School and began her career in public accounting at Touché Ross (now Deloitte), where she obtained her CPA license.

Read our summer newsletter for a resident profile and updates on major energy efficiency improvements at Bellwether, renovations that are preserving and improving two Bellwether buildings, the progress at our new Arbora Court and Anchor Flats Apartments and much more. #AffordableHousingWeek #GiveBig #Bellwether #Seattle #affordablehousing #energyefficiency #RafnCompany #EmeraldCities #Ballard

As part of Affordable Housing Week, Bellwether will host a panel discussion focused on the role the tech sector can play in solving the affordable housing crisis featuring three local industry leaders. Rebekah Bastian, VP of Product at Zillow, Ethan Phelps-Goodman, founder of Seattle Tech 4 Housing and Seattle in Progress, and Jonathan Sposato, CEO of PicMonkey and creator of WeCount.org, will share their insights about leveraging technology and the human capital of Seattle tech companies for social good. Bellwether’s CEO Susan Boyd will moderate the discussion, which is free and open to the public and will include light refreshments. The panel discussion is from 5 – 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 16th at Bellwether’s offices located at 433 Minor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. Affordable Housing Week is organized by the Housing Development Consortium of King County to draw attention to the importance of creating more affordable housing in Seattle/King County and how its members are tackling that challenge. Bellwether Housing is Seattle’s largest non-profit provider of affordable housing, with over 1,900 units throughout the city that families, low-wage working people, seniors, and adults with disabilities call home. We look forward to hearing from these three tech leaders about how their sector can play a role in expanding affordable housing opportunities. For more information, please contact events@bellwetherhousing.org. Please RSVP for the discussion here. #tech #affordablehousing #AffordableHousingWeek #event