In the midst of our region’s housing crisis, it’s a given that adding to affordable housing stock via new construction is critical. However, preserving existing affordable housing is just as important. One of our core values is that everyone has the right to a quality, affordable home. In some cases, those quality homes are produced not through new construction, but through a reinvestment in our existing portfolio.
Community Roots Housing is committed to the preservation of affordable housing that is at risk due to market pressures or physical deterioration. However, pandemic-related economic challenges, including rising costs due to inflation and interest rates, have made it more difficult to secure funds for critical repairs.
Earlier this year, Community Roots advocated for funding to help us address this need through a Community Project Funding request. These requests allow members of Congress to target federal dollars toward projects benefiting their communities.
This month, we received an $850,000 federal grant, championed by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington’s District 7. These funds will go toward critical improvements to four Community Roots properties that provide 150 units of affordable housing to those making 30-50% of the area median income.
Repairing instead of postponing
While each property adds to a repair reserve fund annually, escalating project costs and unexpected replacements have reduced them. This new capital will enable us to make urgent improvements such as replacing roofs, water tanks, boilers, HVAC and mechanical systems, and restoring masonry work. Postponing this type of maintenance would have resulted in much higher repair costs in the future. These upgrades represent the most critical needs and will ensure these buildings remain safe and affordable for the residents.
Some of the apartments that will be repaired illustrate the diversity of needs being supported by this housing: Six units are set aside for households living with HIV/AIDS, six units are reserved for formerly homeless individuals, six more are allocated for disabled adults.
With the average age of the buildings being 90 years old, these classic brick buildings hold historical significance in Seattle’s changing architectural landscape. One of the buildings–the Villa–even earned an Award of Merit from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.
Preserving affordable commercial space
Seven small, independently-owned businesses on the ground floors of the Villa, the Harrison, and the Larned, rely on the affordable retail space to remain in place. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of small businesses fail within their first year. By the end of their fifth year, roughly 50% of small businesses fail. Commercial tenants Zaika and Inside Passage are nearing their fifth years of doing business at the Villa. The Shop Agora and Rumba have been fixtures on Capitol Hill for over a decade and Palermo has been operating out of the Harrison on 15th since 2002. The Seattle Tattoo Emporium has called the Villa home since 2000. These businesses will also benefit from future exterior upgrades to the buildings.
We strive to safeguard affordability and rehabilitate buildings. This improves the quality of life for residents by providing decent, safe, and affordable housing. Community Roots Housing is leading an ongoing movement toward sustainable preservation. Improving existing built resources is not just environmentally friendly; it has a direct impact on the quality of life for the residents of those affordable homes.
