Awardees for 2023 include Homestead Community Land Trust and Rainier Beach Action Coalition, and African Community Housing & Development and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties.

SEATTLE – Today, Mayor Harrell announced that the Office of Housing (OH) will bring 72 new affordable homeownership units to the Rainier Valley community, serving homebuyers with incomes at or below 80% area median income, through an investment of over $7.5 million in funding of proposals for the Rainier Valley Affordable Homeownership Initiative (RVAHI). This initiative places a strong emphasis on anti-displacement efforts and community-led development and preference was given to projects that achieved even deeper affordability levels, demonstrating a strong commitment to meeting the needs of low-income residents in the Rainier Valley.

“The Rainier Valley Affordable Homeownership Initiative is a great example of the work we’re pursuing to increase affordable home ownership opportunities and create pathways that build generational wealth and prevent displacement,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “The proposals from each of the partnerships awarded are part of our community-driven One Seattle approach to bring more housing online, including for families who want to raise their children in the diverse Rainier Valley community we love.”

On March 24, 2023, OH published four Request for Proposals (RFPs) seeking proposals from developers to build permanently affordable for-sale homes to homebuyers on four properties located in the Rainier Valley area. These sites are part of the 10 sites that were transferred to OH by Sound Transit in late 2021, for the development of permanently affordable homeownership. The projects selected came from joint proposals from African Community Housing & Development (ACHD) and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties (Habitat SKC), as well as Homestead Community Land Trust (Homestead CLT) in partnership with Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC). This round of awards sees a high investment into family-sized homes, with at least 11 homes at three bedrooms or more.

• 7908 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. – Homestead CLT: 8 three-bedroom units (Total: 8 units, estimated completion 2025)
• 6740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. – ACHD and Habitat SKC:  10 one-bedroom units, 20 two-bedroom units (Total: 30 units, estimated completion 2026)
• 3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. – ACHD and Habitat SKC: 9 one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom units (Total: 31 units, estimated completion 2026)
• 4865 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. – ACHD and Habitat SKC: 3 four-bedroom units (Total: 3 units, estimated completion 2026)

“The Rainier Valley Affordable Homeownership Initiative is a significant step towards addressing the affordable housing challenges in our community,” said Office of Housing Director Maiko Winkler-Chin. “We are excited with the outcome of this year’s selection process, and we commend the efforts of all the organizations involved in submitting thoughtful and innovative proposals.”

The final award of these selected proposals is in line with the transfer of public property agreement with Sound Transit. The next phase of the initiative is expected to release the final three Rainier Valley sites in the first or second quarter of next year, continuing the commitment to providing sustainable, affordable housing options in the Rainier Valley community. Visit our website to learn more about the Rainier Valley Affordable Homeownership Initiative.

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The Seattle Office of Housing increases opportunities for families of all incomes to live in our city. We manage investments in affordable housing and programs for developers to fund the preservation and production of affordable homes in Seattle. We also provide home repair and weatherization programs for lower-income residents.