With a snip of giant scissors, Canopy Apartments and the White Center HUB officially celebrated their grand opening on January 24, 2026. Led by Community Roots, the White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA), and Southwest Youth & Family Services, this affordable housing and community center is the result of over a decade of work in partnership with White Center residents. The event opened with blessings from Kalehua Kaapana and Willard Bill Jr., followed by cultural performances by Calpulli Mitotiliztli and Tanoa Polynesian Productions.
We were honored to be joined by pillars of the community, including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen, and King County Councilwoman Brianna Thomas, nonprofit leaders, project partners, and members of the broader White Center community. To all who joined us, thank you. Your presence was a reminder that housing is not just about buildings. It’s about the people.
Family-sized affordable housing
Canopy Apartments brings 76 new affordable apartments to the White Center neighborhood—many of them designed with families in mind. The homes serve households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income (AMI). For a two-person household, that translates to an income range of $37,710 to $75,420. This critical resource is a direct response to King County’s shortage of deeply affordable, family-sized housing.
Designed for “Hope, Unity, and Belonging“
Next door is the two-story White Center HUB, built around “Hope, Unity, and Belonging.“ Operated by the WCCDA, the HUB brings together trusted local organizations offering health, youth, and family services. The HUB is now home to Southwest Youth and Family Services, HealthPoint, FEEST, and the YES! Foundation. The new space helps these organizations expand their programming through an onsite medical and dental clinic, a coffee shop, recording studio, event hall, commercial kitchen, maker space, playground, and gathering areas designed to bring people together.
“We brought affordable housing together with childcare, small business space, and essential services so families can stay rooted, build stability, and help shape what comes next together,“ said Aaron Garcia, Executive Director of the WCCDA.
This new cornerstone in White Center wouldn’t be possible without King County, which played a key role in its development. They provided early funding to help leaders plan, organize, and build the foundation for this ambitious project, and later leveraged publicly owned land to bring this building to life — transitioning the site from interim family shelter use, to a food bank and public health clinic, and now affordable housing and community space.
“Canopy White Center is an example of what the future of affordable housing can look like,“ said Colleen Echohawk, CEO of Community Roots. “This project goes above and beyond an affordable place to call home; it’s a place where White Center families can put down roots and access the resources they need to thrive.“
This project shows how affordable housing, rooted in place and culture, strengthens communities and creates lasting stability.
