News & Stories

Preservation is important because it prevents the loss of affordable housing stock over time, which is essential to addressing the housing crisis. What is the preservation of affordable housing? Affordable housing preservation means managing buildings to ensure they remain safe and affordable for the people who call them home. There are two ways affordable housing

Fifty years ago, Community Roots Housing began with a simple idea — to help our neighbors stay rooted in their homes. What began in 1976 as the Stevens Neighborhood Improvement Program (SNIP) has grown into a commitment to confront inequity by creating affordable housing. As part of our anniversary, we are revisiting and sharing some

In Washington, public development authorities are unique, independent organizations legally separate from local governments. They are not private, for-profit companies; however, they are equipped to carry out public objectives with a degree of freedom akin to private corporations or nonprofits. A public development authority is a “public corporation” created to address a community’s needs. The

Building a more affordable Seattle since 1976 This year, Community Roots Housing celebrates 50 years. What began as a small grassroots program supporting neighbors and offering them free tools to repair their homes has grown — half a century later — into a commitment to confront inequity by creating affordable housing. Community Roots now serves

2025 was a transformative year for Community Roots Housing. From the appointment of Colleen Echohawk as the new CEO, to breaking ground on developments, to preserving historic housing, and keeping residents housed through emergency rental assistance, here are five highlights that defined the year.   1) Breaking ground on Constellation Center and Constellation Apartments In

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

The PDA Board and Committee meetings will continue to occur electronically for the foreseeable future, and we will post the Zoom meeting information on our website under the News & Stories section here. Below is the meeting information for our upcoming meetings.   Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Individual Board Committee Meeting Dates for

We have all been hit with an unplanned bill or put in an unexpected financial situation at what seems like the worst possible time. When the impact is great enough — especially for those living on low incomes — it can cause someone to miss their next rent payment, or worse: it can kickstart a

We are excited to announce the appointment of Colleen Echohawk as the new Chief Executive Officer of Community Roots Housing! Colleen will start her new role on October 6, in anticipation of the retirement of longtime CEO Chris Persons at the end of October. Colleen Echohawk brings over 20 years of experience as an executive

Community Roots Housing has scheduled a special PDA Board Meeting to be held electronically on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The meeting information is below. Please join using this link: https://communityrootshousing-org.zoom.us/j/93169437365?pwd=bUj22vhwZ0tHaCmf3Cd96trkD9emMu.1 Meeting ID:    935 1068 1987 Passcode:       302578