Rainier Valley Affordable Homeownership Initiative

Initiative Overview

Seattle's Rainier Valley is one of the region's most culturally and economically diverse neighborhoods, and it is also a neighborhood facing significant displacement pressures. Through close partnerships with Sound Transit and community-based organizations rooted in the Rainier Valley, the Office of Housing's Rainier Valley Homeownership Initiative aims to:

Create at least 100 for-sale homes, permanently affordable to low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers;
Prevent displacement of current Rainier Valley residents who are being priced out of this transit-rich area, and create opportunities for displaced Rainier Valley residents to return to the area;
Generate homeownership opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and other households of color who have been systematically and disproportionately excluded from homeownership opportunities;
Build the capacity of community-based organizations to participate in the development and/or long-term stewardship of community assets; and
Be responsive to community-led processes to determine outcomes for non-residential spaces to be developed alongside affordable housing.

Background

From 2017-2018, in response to community calls for more affordable housing and community ownership in the Rainier Valley, the Seattle Office of Housing (OH) worked with Sound Transit (ST) to identify a number of Sound Transit-owned surplus sites to make available for affordable housing development. Sound Transit properties, originally purchased for construction purposes, were assessed in terms of suitability and capacity for homeownership development. The 10 sites identified are located along MLK Jr. Way S, spanning from the Mt. Baker Link light rail station to the Rainier Beach Link light rail station.

Building on the successful partnership between OH and Sound Transit, which has resulted in the completion of several large-scale multi-family, affordable housing joint-development projects, Sound Transit successfully requested that the Federal Transit Administration relinquish their financial interest in the sites, allowing the properties to be transferred to the City at no-cost. Given the current costs of land and development, this no-cost transfer was necessary for the success of this initiative.

Based on community input solicited in the summer of 2019 through community engagement efforts led by OH, Sound Transit, Puget Sound Sage, and members of South CORE, Sound Transit and OH continued to pursue the transfer. In October 2020, the Sound Transit Board adopted Resolution 2020-17, which declared the sites suitable for housing and authorized staff to negotiate a no-cost transfer of the sites to the City of Seattle for that purpose. In February of 2021 the key business terms of the transfer agreement were approved, and the Seattle City Council approved acceptance of the properties in May of 2021.

Over the course of the next several years, and through a series of Requests for Proposals (RFPS) published by OH, no fewer than 100 affordable homes will be built and sold to homebuyers with incomes of 80% of AMI or below.

What is Happening Now

The Office of Housing is committed to deep, meaningful engagement with organizations rooted in Rainier Valley communities. Our goal through this engagement is to create an equitable planning and land disposition process. To that end, and to give space to ongoing community-led conversations regarding specific sites, the Office of Housing is currently moving forward on Requests for Proposals for sites that will be developed into affordable housing only. For sites identified as being able to accommodate both affordable housing and non-residential uses (e.g., community space, small business space), the Office of Housing will continue to be responsive to ongoing community-led conversations to determine development outcomes.

Notice of Funding Availability

The City of Seattle Office of Housing (OH) is requesting proposals for three permanently affordable homeownership development projects on City-owned sites in the Rainier Valley. Awardees will be responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, codes, contracts, and funding requirements.

Proposals are due by July 1, 2022 by 12:00 NOON.

For more information please contact : Erika Malone, Strategic Advisor for Homeownership, erika.malone@seattle.gov

Site 8 RFP

Site 10 RFP

Site 11 RFP

Background

Timeline