The City of Seattle broke ground on 102 new affordable housing units for people experiencing long-term homelessness. The units are being developed in the Little Saigon neighborhood, east of Chinatown.
The apartments will be developed by Plymouth Housing at the 501 Rainier Building. The mayor's office said their philosophy is "Housing First," a principle that people cannot improve their lives until they have a safe, stable place to live.
Paul Lambros, Executive Director of Plymouth Housing, said, "Our development at 501 Rainier Avenue South, which will bring over 100 people off the streets, is a direct response to the great need for permanent supportive housing in Seattle and King County.”
All residents in the new building will be assigned a housing case manager, with on-site services like medical care, veterans counseling, and money management. The resources are provided by the voter-approved Seattle Housing Levy.
The ground floor of the 501 Rainier Building is reserved for displaced local businesses, a request made by the community.
The mayor's office said Seattle is on track for 2,500 affordable housing units by 2021.
