Foundations for the future

An annual report looks back to the past and forward to the future.  It answers, what were our challenges, how did we overcome them, and what were our successes.  What obstacles do we foresee and how do we plan to leap over them.  As we approach our fifty year mark serving community in Seattle, these questions appear more starkly than ever.

The post-pandemic years have been challenging for residents and the whole affordable housing sector.  The path to full recovery remains steep for low-income people facing obstinate financial stress and global worry.  The sector grapples with stubborn collections and rapidly escalating costs, while the path for delivering new product increases in complexity at every step.

How does Community Roots Housing respond? First by doubling down on our commitment to resident success, through the creation in 2024 of the Resident Advisory Council which holds us accountable to the needs of residents.  Resident success is the driving force behind our work.

For fifty years, Community Roots Housing has proven that it is up to the challenge through innovation, transparency, hard work and always holding residents first.

Finally, as we look to the future, we invite you to participate in join in.  Your thought leadership, project partnership, and support will for the next fifty years be a vital component of our success.

Warm regards,

Frank and Chris

PS.  Although the Board is diligently working through the transition of my retirement as CEO in late 2025, I have many months to go and we have much to do.  I look forward to working with all of you as we set the foundation for the next fifty years building housing, building community, and fostering hope.

In 2023, Community Roots Housing began the process of forming a Resident Advisory Council (RAC), a resident-led body designed to give voice to residents and improve their quality of life. The goal is to foster collaborative relationships among residents and between residents and Community Roots leadership, creating a platform for community-building and advocacy.

While Community Roots is the only City of Seattle Public Development Authority to actively use this model, it has joined the ranks of fellow affordable housing operators like Bridge Housing, Seattle Housing Authority, and Solid Ground. The council represents a new form of participatory process, crafted and determined by Community Roots residents from the ground up.

Establishing a new resident-led body is no easy task. It takes time, buy-in, and interest: board members must be involved and dedicated program staff must be assigned roles and responsibilities. Next comes community engagement. Spreading awareness across a community of over 40 buildings requires a deliberate approach to ensure residents are notified and invited to join the process. This is just step one—all of this groundwork is just to get people in the door.

2024 was the year of participatory planning

We began the process last January by inviting interested residents to join the year-long RAC Planning Committee.

Each month, committee members met to build relationships, define goals, and clarify decision making processes. In these meetings—with the support of Community Roots staff and a professional facilitator—participants collaborated to draft the council’s guiding document: the Resident Advisory Council charter.

Sixteen residents were voted onto the Resident Advisory Council in September. The following month, they held their first official meeting as a council. In November, the Community Roots Board of Directors passed a resolution officially recognizing the body. In January 2025, the council members voted their charter into effect.

Looking ahead to 2025

While Community Roots’ Board, CEO, and staff hold ultimate decision-making power for organizational activities, the council operates in an advisory capacity, maintaining an active partnership with Community Roots’ leadership. Looking ahead, the resident group plans to bring in speakers that focus on leadership development, board governance, and advocacy.

With the charter approved, the council will move forward with a solid foundation to set and prioritize issues to be discussed in 2025. We envision the Resident Advisory Council as a way to build relationships, support residents’ decision-making skills, and provide a channel to influence local, regional, state, and national housing policies.

In the midst of our region’s housing crisis, it’s a given that adding to affordable housing stock through new construction is critical. However, preserving existing inventory is just as important—it is often the most economical and sustainable way to provide quality, affordable homes. That’s why in 2024, Community Roots wrapped up work on a comprehensive renovation project at the Devonshire apartments, a three-story brick building located in Belltown. Originally built in 1925, the Devonshire provides 62 apartments affordable to households earning 50% or less of the area median income.

The restoration spanned a broad scope of work including all new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Apartment interiors were outfitted with LED lighting, new appliances, fresh kitchen and bathroom cabinet packages, new doors, and high-performance glass. Seismic upgrades accompanied a new sprinkler system, energy recovery ventilators, insulation, and windows.

Renovating and preserving affordable housing like the Devonshire allows households to return to their communities much faster than building new housing. This process also maximizes previous investments in affordability by extending the lifespan of the homes already created.

Earlier this year, Community Roots advocated for support to reinvest in our existing portfolio through a Community Project Funding request. These requests allow members of Congress to target federal dollars toward projects benefiting their communities. In November 2024, 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 three Community Roots properties that provide 117 units to those making 30-50% of the area median income. The Harrison on 15th, the Villa, and the Fleming apartments have not benefited from public investment in over 20 years, yet the average building age is 82 years old.

Repairing instead of postponing

While each property adds to a repair reserve fund annually, escalating project costs and unexpected replacements have meant that the needs exceed the available reserve funding. The federal grant will enable us to make urgent improvements such as roof replacements. 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.

Spring forward

However, before repairs can start, Community Roots needs to put the projects out to bid. Once the bids are in, the team will review, select contractors, and formalize contracts.  The Villa and Fleming apartments won’t require a general contractor to address exterior projects like repairs to the masonry tuckpointing and sealing, wood rot repair and repainting, and resealing windows, which means a more streamlined timeline. The Harrison on 15^th requires more complex repairs including new roofing, fire and HVAC systems replacement, building access mechanical replacements.

Upgrades of the properties are expected to begin in spring to ensure the full dry season to get the exterior envelop work done. Keeping moisture out of these buildings is the first line of defense against further deterioration. New windows, roofs, and sealed masonry will help keep the cold weather out and keep the building cooler during the summer.

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