Overview | Hope VI | Career 1-Stop | Multi-Service Center | White Center Heights Elementary School

TRADE SHOW : HOPE VI

Presenters: Rebekkah Goldsmith and Richard Nichols

 

Hope VI is a project to create a mixed-income housing neighborhood. The King County Housing Authority has received a $35 million federal grant to begin implementing a $200 million project known as Greenbridge.

This is a model of a 10-12 year project. It is proposed to tear down some 500-600 existing housing units and rebuild with 900-1200 units for a mixed-income community. 300 would be affordable (public) housing. 300-400 would be market-rate housing. 300-400 would be home ownership.

In this community will be neighborhood services, to include a renovated community center, a new library, community college facilities, Head Start, social services and community services. Neighborhood services, a “pocket park,” and a new community school will also be there.

The goal is to be affordable and to recognize the community assets. The center of the community is very important. It will not be a “development” but a central part of the White Center community. The funding for this project is related to the integration of community support services. It is a “mini Main Street” where people will gather.

There will be some market retail space. We have a commitment to helping the service organizations (partners) to develop funding strategies for them to be present.

There will be a new community school. 750 sq. ft. of the school building will contain community services programs and activities. The school district has agreed to share facilities like cafeteria, multipurpose rooms, etc. The school will be used after school and on weekends and summers for community activities. There will most likely be after-school youth programs in this space.

There is not a lot of community space in the White Center area. This project reflects an expansion of space that community groups can use, in several locations, not only in the new construction areas.

The critical outcome we desire is economic self-sufficiency for the residents who are there now and for the community we envision. Job creation, continuation of a career development center, more people having jobs, having better jobs, having more job training, and to stay in jobs are things we want to see as outcomes. We also recognize that there are people of many different ages and we need to address all of them.