Even more neighbors will come to E Republican’s block party next year, CHS reported in 2018.
King County’s quest to house 1,600 homeless people by 2028 will include new homes on Capitol Hill as officials try to improve the results of the challenged program behind the acquisition.
According to the latest efforts to document the crisis, there are an estimated 13,400 people living homeless in the county and the Department of Community and Human Services estimates more than 40,000 people are in need of homelessness services around Seattle and the county over the course of the year.
According to records, the county has purchased a four-story, 35-unit apartment building just west of the intersection and Broadway Hill Park for $11.6 million. The $322,000 per unit price to the private developer that constructed the building is in line with recent similar transactions in the neighborhood.
The deal is the latest under the Health Through Housing measure passed by the King County Council in 2021 which aims to house up to 1,600 people experiencing chronic homelessness by using hundreds of millions of dollars raised from a sales tax on properties in Seattle and five nearby cities.
(Image: King County Records)
Late last year, the Seattle Times reported on the county’s struggles to open and move people into the buildings it owns under the program citing staffing challenges, contractor delays, and sometimes legal challenges to the 13 planned properties under the program. In addition to the move-in challenges, the county is also facing delays in outreach in the communities around its acquisitions.
The E Republican apartment building was under construction five years ago when CHS visited the corner in the rapidly changing neighborhood around Broadway Hill Park. “We need to have more housing but development in a way that kind of fits the neighborhood,” neighbor John Stuntebaeck told CHS at the time. His family purchased the adorably classic Capitol Hill pink house at the corner neighboring the new apartment building in 2014 knowing development was coming, Stuntebaeck said.
The little pink house still stands. But across the street, some of the less cared for old homes are goners where a new eight-story, 75-unit building will rise.
As for for the new county acquisition, the new construction has 37 units and no parking in an infill design intended to respect “the residential and commercial nature of the area.”
The acquisition of the building is part of a flurry of land deals on Capitol Hill powered by public and nonprofit affordable housing initiatives.
In late 2021, the city announced it was acquiring three Capitol Hill developments for homelessness housing on Boylston, Harvard, and 10th Ave with a combined 170 or so units — a cost of about $290,000 per home.
In November, CHS reported on the YWCA Seattle King Snohomish chapter’s acquisition of a new building at 800 E Denny Way to be used as permanent affordable housing designated to address barriers for low-income households that are at-risk or experiencing homelessness in Seattle. The building has 93 units that are studios and one-bedroom. In another example, state “Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition” program funding powered the Low Income Housing Institute’s $21 million purchase of the Harvard Lofts development.
Meanwhile, other organizations are also building new affordable housing. In March, Habitat for Humanity opened the Capitol View Community, an affordable condo building restricted to households making 80% or less of Area Median Income, on 11th Ave E between Harrison and Republican.
King County, meanwhile, has said some of its new acquisitions will also address equity issues with Black, American Indian, Alaska Native and other Indigenous people disproportionately experiencing homelessness in Seattle. The newly acquired Capitol Hill building will “serve as permanent supportive housing for queer, transgender, two-spirit, Black, Indigenous, people of color (QT2BIPOC) experiencing chronic homelessness,” according to the county.
That will mirror the “affirmative marketing” intended to make affordable senior housing project Pride Place on Broadway an LGBTQ-affirming property in a development from Community Roots Housing, the affordable housing developer that used to stand nearly alone in creating new low income housing on Capitol Hill. Buoyed by increased federal, state, and local funding, the neighborhood is much busier right now with a growing cast of organizations stepping forward to harness those funds. More could be coming with February’s approval by voters that will shape a new Social Housing Developer in Seattle to acquire and take over management of existing properties for affordable housing while also setting the groundwork for philanthropy and grants to create new renter-governed housing in the city.
The county’s Capitol Hill deal also comes as the costs of addressing the homelessness crisis in Seattle are making headlines. KOMO reports the city’s budget office says Seattle has spent more than $1 billion to address the crisis over the past 11 years. That number, by the way, is in line with this McKinsey analysis says is required to build enough “extremely low-income households” housing to reverse the area’s homelessness crisis.
UPDATE: The county says the funding for this building comes from “a unique blend of Health Through Housing funds and funds City of Seattle previously used to fund the King County jail.”
“Responding to the region’s homelessness and housing affordability crises, and addressing racial disparities in the homelessness population, this building allows QT2BIPOC to stabilize in a safe, single-room setting with a bathroom and bed,” the county fact sheet on the acquisition reads.
The county says All Health Through Housing properties will include 24/7 staffing and on-site supports “to help vulnerable people regain health and stability.”
The county plans to announce operators for the property soon.
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Wouldn’t be it cheaper to purchase housing for this needs somewhere around Northgate, if it should be near light rail? Honestly, I am all up for the low-income housing for families and working adults, but not for the former homeless with addictions, who will bring troubles and crime into neighborhood. I know why I am so sure about that. I don’t understand why the city is trying so hard to relocate all homeless to capitol hill.
I think you’re playing this game incorrectly. See, you have to hide your bigotry behind reasonable-sounding rhetoric.
It doesn’t even matter if the rhetoric is as flimsy as tissue paper!
Please rephrase your disgusting bigotry to make it less obvious next time!
Are you happier with the responses below, which express the same concerns but in a more politically correct manner? Good. Because your feelings are really what matter when discussing decisions to spends millions of taxpayer dollars.
Real estate is so much cheaper outside of capitol hill. It is honestly doing the homeless a huge disservice by doing this when far more of them could be housed elsewhere.
Plus the taxpayers are not paying competitive rates, instead we’re paying well over market value for the property. Other publications have reported this.
The truth shall set you free.
Having responded to hundreds of incidents over the years in various Seattle “supportive” housing occupancies, I recognize veracity of Luba’s statements. It’s not bigotry to speak the truth.
So I’m assuming your withholding your name, how about your living situation? Myself I’m homeless. I live in a trailer I built, and luckily I found someone that let’s me rent a parking space that I had cut my spot into brush in the back of there property, and their allowing that cause they need help with their mortgage. But I got off subject, and I say this because I’m a recovering addict….they want to stay where there hussle is and their dealer is and they have the local cops routine down enough to where they feel half assuming safe. Addiction equals perpetual homelessness.!!
Because Capitol Hill residents allow it. =) You can see plenty of people here.
You are crazy if you think “all the homeless are relocating to capitol hill”. If anything I don’t think enough are. Have you ever been to pioneer square or south downtown?
I totally agree. This will absolutely hurt property values for people who have invested in making Capitol Hill a great place to live. Why is the city making Capitol Hill it’s dumping ground for drug addicts? It should be trying to make this a more livable, family friendly area instead of concentrating dangerous drug addicts there.
Why should the city make Capitol Hill more family friendly? Honestly that sounds terrible. Let’s cities move on their own organically. You sound like a pussy who should move to Federal Way.
Is Capitol Hill the only neighborhood in Seattle where the city will be building apartments for homeless? How about Madrona and Mercer Island?
You know Mercer Island isn’t in Seattle right?
King County Regional Homeless Authority is focusing on housing people exactly where in greater King County? His question is valid.
You could house many more people with the money if you bought more buildings outside of Seattle to north, south and east. We paid into the KCRHA and many cities refused. They should pony up land for housing as in kind funding.
Better yet, why not Montana!
KING COUNTY Regional Homeless Authority should located housing all over King County. And we taxpayers shouldn’t be paying millions over market rate just to locate someone on the hill. The $11.6 million means roughly $322,222 per unit for the 36 unit building, which is a substantial increase over the $8.9 million appraisal valuation.
Contrast this with a recent sale between two private parties, such as 915 E Harrison Street a mere block away, which sold for $7.05 million, or roughly $163,953 per unit for the 43 unit building. This is actually $6.7 million below its total appraised value of $13.8 million.
One was built in 1928, the other was built in the last few years…
I welcome more housing everywhere including just around the corner here, and I think it’s great they’re using this space for it. This neighborhood is convenient to a lot of stuff useful for anyone getting back on their feet, from job options to health care. But like others I do wonder about the bang for the buck situation. This level of cash for this many units ($290K per!) doesn’t seem like it scales to the number of people who need a hand.
For those who say we are not spending enough money on homelessness, the $11.6 million pricetag for this building ($322,000 per unit!) would counteract that point of view. Along with the three other, recently-acquired buildings for the formerly-homeless, we are investing large amounts of money (including ongoing operating costs) to try and get them back on their feet. I just hope the “on-site supports” will actually be effective, otherwise the money will be wasted.
These buildings are requiring 24/7 security. That says it all as far as the real risk to the surrounding community.
Capitol Hill has taken more than its fair share of these projects. There have been at least 5 market rate buildings on Capitol Hill bought in the last 2 years for tens of millions of taxpayers dollars. It seems like a back door way to avoid regulation that is a win win for the developers and homeless NGOs, but a loss for the city. Despite the spin from the activist class, these drug use enabling buildings have real impacts on the community and will cost a fortune to maintain if the tenants don’t burn them down first. There is a growing body of evidence that “housing first” and “harm reduction” has been a disaster. Seattle shouldn’t be responsible for hosting and supporting the region’s (and country’s) addicts and mentally ill in our parks and brand new apartments. From a financial perspective it also makes no sense. You could house twice as many people at sites with much lower land values outside the city and many times more if these were shared spaces. This money should have been spent on affordable housing. Lower and middle income people that have been part of the social fabric for years are being displaced from the neighborhood. They should be the priority.
The purchase of this building has more to do with bailing out developers then housing the homeless.
Seattle has always been run via a constant pipeline of construction projects, most of which have had a flair for highlighting the environment, technology, etc.. whatever gets things built is championed.
Is there a history of anything being built lasting? Being good for the environment? Helping out the homeless?
No, not really.
Google “Hooverville Seattle” to see the history of the city’s previous homeless crisis.
“There is a growing body of evidence that “housing first” and “harm reduction” has been a disaster.”
No there isn’t. In fact, evidence completely contradicts what you say.
Why are overdoses soaring? Why are there more addicts milling about the streets of Seattle in misery than ever? Why is the homeless crisis worse in Seattle, than places that spend far less? How is it compassionate to hand out needles to someone that is far beyond being able to make good decisions for themself? How are dangerous encampments with over a thousand fires a year and countless acts of violence a better option for individuals and society than congregate shelters? Why are we prioritizing individual units that will take 10 years to build over emergency shelters that could get everyone off the street in a year?
A large portion do not want “congregate shelters”, it’s a very inhumane option that can be harmful. Relapse and recidivism are higher in populations that are in shelter than in housing. Not too mention the problems with where people can store their stuff, most shelters are overnight only and have limited space, so you’re required to live in a constantly mobile lifestyle. I mean, we could build/buy storage units, but I think this approach of buying unused buildings is generally a good idea.
I live a few buildings away from one of these that sat finished and unused for almost a year and now has housed dozens of people for a few months. The only city services I see are ambulance, but you see that at many low income and/or retirement buildings.
There were 200 overdose deaths in these buildings in 2022 in King County. This is obviously not working. It should be treated as a huge scandal, but it is swept under the rug because it doesn’t fit the progressive narrative. Nobody likes congregate shelters, but it is a necessary next step to get people off the street ASAP
There were more than 800 overdose deaths in King County, how many were people that were in shelter or had been in shelter at one point and died on the street?
While we’re on this narrative, how many died in non-public housing? Clearly that’s not working either…?!? 🤷🏻♂️
25% of overdose deaths are in “housing first/harm reduction” projects. That is a big F***ing deal. One building in north Seattle had 12 deaths. I don’t know the statistics for non-public housing, but obviously the percentage of people dying of overdoses in non-public housing is much much lower per unit of housing. Stop gaslighting.
My comment was a bit flippant, but not gaslighting. There were an estimated 400+ deaths of people living unhoused in King County in 2022, many were overdoses, many others were very treatable health conditions… I guess I’m not surprised that when overdoses have skyrocketed across all sorts of demographics, that housing/programs targeting populations that have significant drug treatment needs will have relatively high numbers of overdoses. What is less humane, someone dying from an overdose in housing first housing, or someone dying on the street from lack of basic medical care? There are no good answers to that question, but I’m going to opt towards housing people… That doesn’t mean I think the current situation is working, but pointing out an uncomfortable fact doesn’t necessarily make it a scandal.
I live next to one of these buildings currently, and the tenants require 24/7 security as babysitters. I will say things have gotten significantly better since they added security. Hopefully they bring these learnings forward and continue to filter out tenants who are bad neighbors. I really hope I’m not being too optimistic. I have a newborn baby, and I don’t want to move away.
Good. This means people living here will have easy access to transportation, so won’t need to have the added burden of owning a car, and will likely have closer access to support services so they can get on their feet.
I love all of this new affordable housing! While I think we should be building out and up affordable housing, Capitol Hill has the primary elementary school serving homeless students and is very close to many services yet actually one of the few underdeveloped downtown adjacent neighborhoods.
I wish CHS would use two cross streets to describe locations. I don’t understand where this is happening.
I thought I saw the cross streets before, but they mention it being just West of Broadway Hill Park (E Republican St & Federal Ave E) on Republican. It’s right across the street from the house that was recently intentionally burned down for firefighting practice: https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2023/03/why-the-seattle-fire-department-is-burning-down-this-capitol-hill-house/
Why are taxpayers paying well over market price while other buyers are actually paying under appraised value for similar properties? This was reported in other publications.
Have you looked at these properties, they are quite different…