Photo courtesy of Sea Mar Community Health Centers. The City’s investment supports Sea Mar Community Health Centers in providing 39 homes and on-site services for women who have experienced chronic homelessness.
Seattle – Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Office of Housing today announced the City of Seattle’s latest investment in affordable housing: $5.3 million, matched by the Washington State Department of Commerce, to support Sea Mar Community Health Centers’ acquisition of a newly constructed apartment building on Beacon Hill. The building’s new residents, women who have experienced chronic homelessness, have already begun moving in, and Sea Mar Community Health Centers will continue to move new residents in over the next couple weeks.
Sea Mar Community Health Centers specializes in providing healthcare and social services for historically marginalized populations, with a focus on Latino/a immigrants. Residents of the building’s 39 rent- and income-restricted homes will have access to on-site case management services to assist them in accessing healthcare, counseling, and financial assistance, as well as education, job training, and employment opportunities.
“Expanding access to housing with services is core to ending the homelessness crisis, and this kind of acquisition and partnership is a crucial part of the City of Seattle’s strategy to take compassionate and urgent action,” said Mayor Harrell. “I’m confident Sea Mar is the right partner to ensure those who have suffered chronic homelessness receive individualized, culturally competent, restorative support, so they have the care they need to recover and thrive.”
“As a community health center, we understand how factors like stable housing impact a person’s health,” said Rogelio Riojas, Executive Director and CEO of Sea Mar. “We have a responsibility and commitment to provide services that directly respond to community need. With our established services, we are in a unique position to offer housing, health and supportive services that will not only increase access to housing, but will also provide necessary support to help individuals and families transition out of homelessness. We are grateful to the City of Seattle and Low Income Housing Institute’s support in helping make this project possible.”
The new affordable homes are located in a transit-rich and pedestrian-friendly area, in close proximity to the North Beacon Hill and Mount Baker community business districts, as well as the Chinatown-International District neighborhood. These 39 new homes reflect the City’s latest affordable housing investment, which builds upon the Office of Housing’s nearly 40-year track record of creating and preserving affordable housing throughout Seattle.
In 2021 alone, the Office of Housing invested over $140 million to support the production, preservation, and acquisition of over 1,500 affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities. Funding for these annual investments comes from the voter-approved Seattle Housing Levy, payments made through the Mandatory Housing Affordability program, and other local, state, and federal resources.