This Fair Housing Month,HomeSight Celebrates
“The Act in Action”

April is Fair Housing Month, and HomeSight programs embody this year’s theme.

Every April, we recognize the anniversary of our country’s Fair Housing Act. Signed into law on April 11, 1968, this federal act prohibited the longstanding practices of discrimination in housing transactions. It protects people from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or familial status.

HomeSight’s work is rooted in the tenets of this landmark legislation and brings the FHA’s ideals to work for Washingtonians. This year’s Fair Housing Month theme – The Act in Action – highlights HomeSight’s important work in the community. Here are a few of the programs that show how HomeSight puts the act in action every day.

 U-lex: Affordable Housing Co-op as Anti-Displacement Tool

 With beautiful, modern living conditions set next to the light rail station at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Holly Park Drive, HomeSight’s U-lex co-op will offer 68 units affordable to families earning 80 percent or less of the area income at the time of purchase.

“For too many Washington residents, even a so-called ‘starter house’ is too big a leap to get into the real estate market,” said HomeSight Executive Director Darryl Smith. “With a co-op like U-lex, people can start building equity at a much lower price point than you’d find in this housing market. U-lex is creating the first few rungs on the ladder, so people can start the climb to the true financial stability homeowning allows.” 

U-lex is the final building in HomeSight’s Othello Square complex, which now houses the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a community-based health care provider, Verity Credit Union, Salish Sea Elementary School, and Tiny Tots Development, a provider of early childhood education. Fifty percent of U-lex units are reserved for people who have roots in this community.

 “U-lex is an intentional anti-displacement tool,” said Uche Okezie, HomeSight’s Director of Real Estate Development. “Without planned growth through projects such as U-lex, the city risks losing the communities that make Seattle so unique.”

U-lex is spelled “ʔúləx̌” in Lushootseed, the language spoken by the Coast Salish people who originally lived on this land. Pronounced ‘OH-lew,’ ʔúləx̌ means “gather” in the Lushootseed language. To learn more about U-lex, please contact Pearl Nelson or visit the website.

Field Order 15 Fund: Reparative Lending to Help New Black Home Builders — and Homeowners

This year, HomeSight and Black Home Initiative (BHI), launched the Field Order 15 Fund, a reparative lending program for Black home developers that provides upfront grant money, eligibility for low-interest lending, and technical support. The program offers a creative approach to addressing the affordable housing shortage by giving agency to stakeholders that traditionally have not had a seat at the table.

The fund’s name references General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Special Field Order 15, issued at the end of the civil war to re-distribute land to the the newly freed enslaved people, providing each family with “40 acres and a mule.” President Lincoln approved Special Field Order 15, but after his assassination his successor Andrew Johnson rescinded it, returning the land to treasonous former enslavers. Black people never received “40 acres and a mule,” or any restitution for their enslavement. The following ten decades of explicitly racist policies prevented Black people from staking a claim in an economically secure future.

“Field Order 15 Fund aims to fulfill this abandoned equity goal and HomeSight is the perfect home for it,” said Okezie, who manages the project. “As a Community Development Financial Institution, we have homeownership counseling, we do mortgage lending, we offer down payment assistance to income-qualified households, and we also build quality, affordable houses. But we are also a CDC – a Community Development Corporation – and our job there is to promote economic growth in the communities we serve. As a CDFI, a CDC, and a member of the BHI, this project pulls all our expertise, goals and imperatives together in a really unique way.”

Purchase Assistance: Halal Loans, VISTA Loans, and Sam Smith “Hi Neighbor” Fund Offer an Opportunity to Build Generational Wealth

HomeSight’s purchase assistance programs are designed to reach out to communities that were impacted by racism and unfair housing practices. HomeSight can offer first-time homebuyers a VISTA loan, which doesn’t require the borrower to have a social security number. HomeSight’s Halal loan is compliant with Sharia law, for Muslim homebuyers.

HomeSight recently partnered with Windermere Real Estate to create the Sam Smith “Hi Neighbor” Homeownership Fund, a loan product to increase purchasing power and bridge the affordability gap facing Black homebuyers earning between 80-120 percent of Washington state’s median income. The fund allows eligible recipients to borrow up to $20,000 to layer into a mortgage loan to use toward their home’s purchase cost.

This initiative was inspired by legendary Washington state legislator and Seattle City Council President Sam Smith, whose perseverance in passing the state’s version of the Fair Housing Act – the Open Housing Law – in 1967 resulted in a major, hard-won civil rights victory. The fund’s name also gives a nod to Smith’s congenial personality.

“The foundation for generational wealth building in American is rooted in home ownership, and the Fair Housing Act’s passage opened a pathway out of poverty for many Americans,” said Smith. “Fair Housing Month allows us to reflect on how far we’ve come and reminds us how much work remains. The work of HomeSight and its community partners is so important right now because that pathway to prosperity can be long and difficult to navigate. Our job is to light the way.”

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New Day NW – APRIL 01, 2024

Plate of Nations is happening now through April 7th in South Seattle.

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thefactsnewspaper.com – MAR 5, 2024

HomeSight Affordable Housing Co-Op U-lex Will Break Ground This SummerCommunity-Led Project Will Bring 68 New Affordable Housing Units to Southeast Seattle

After years of planning and development at Othello Square, HomeSight will enter the final phase of this community-led project as it breaks ground this summer on its planned co-operative housing development, U-lex@Othello Square. Set next to the light rail station at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Holly Park Drive, U-lex will offer 68 units affordable to families earning 80 percent or less of the area median income at the time of purchase.

HomeSight is now inviting incomc-qualified applicants to apply and reserve a unit at U-lex@Othello Square on a first come, first served basis.

Housing costs remain prohibitive to many in southeast Seattle. According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, the median King County home sold for $935,000 in June. A recent Seattle Times inquiry into rising housing costs concluded the salary needed to purchase a typical Seattle home is $214,000 – an 80% rise in the past few years.

While southeast Seattle is culturally rich – its approximately 75,000 residents hail from 40 distinct ethnic groups and speak over 50 languages – this neighborhood is home to the highest percentage of low-income residents in the city. The meteoric rise in housing costs places these long-time community members at high risk for displacement.

“Seattle needs affordable housing, now more than ever,” said HomeSight Executive Director Darryl Smith. “For many low- and middle-income people in Washington, even a so-called ‘starter house’ is too big a leap to get into the real estate market. With a co-op like U-lex, people can start building equity at a much lower price point than you’d find in this housing market. U-lex is creating the first few rungs on the ladder, so people can start the climb to the true financial stability homeowning allows.”

The Othello Square project is notable for its emphasis on extensive community involvement throughout the planning process. Beginning with a nine-month feasibility period in 2017, the project grew and evolved through engagement with southeast Seattle community organizations, local businesses, residents, and resident coalitions.

The first buildings in the Othello complex now house the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a community-based health care provider, Verity Credit Union, Salish Sea Elementary School, and Tiny Tots Development, a provider of early childhood education.

U-lex’s five-story, mixed-use residential development will offer 25 one-bedroom units (650 sqf.), 35 two-bedroom units (860 sqf.), and 8 three-bedroom units (1015 sqf.). U-lex offers underground parking, bike storage, unit storage spaces, and each unit will be equipped with water- and energy- efficient fixtures and appliances. A large, multi-purpose area equipped with a kitchen will be connected to a central, outdoor courtyard, and sun decks and outdoor gardening opportunities will be available on the second and fourth floors.

In addition to the income requirements, applicants must be first-time homebuyers or have not owned a home in the past three years. Preference will be given to southeast Seattle stakeholders: residents, former residents, and people who work or have connections there. Fifty percent of units are reserved exclusively for this community.

“U-lex is an intentional anti-displacement tool,” said Uche Okezie, HomeSight’s Director of Real Estate Development. “Without planned growth through projects such as U-lex, the city risks losing the communities that make Seattle so unique.”

The boundaries of southeast Seattle today correspond directly to areas on the 1936 Homeowners’ Loan Corporation map for Seattle. Because people of color lived there, these areas were shaded yellow for “definitely declining” and red for areas designated “hazardous.” Overlaying this map with the Displacement Risk Index and Access to Opportunity Index maps in the city of Seattle’s 2015 Growth & Equity Report shows this legacy of redlining and racially restrictive lending covenants persists. Last year, the Washington State Department of Commerce released its report on homeownership rates for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Washington, which stated: “The Black-white homeownership gap is worse today than it was in the 1960s when racial discrimination in housing was legal.”

U-lex is spelled “ʔúləx̌” in Lushootseed, the language spoken by the Coast Salish people who originally lived on this land. Pronounced ‘OH-lew,’ ʔúləx̌ means “gather” in the Lushootseed language.

“As a place-based community development organization serving historically redlined and marginalized people excluded from civic and economic participation in society, our mission is to ensure those who built our neighborhoods and communities share in the benefits of its growth,” said Okezie. “Closing disparities in access to opportunity and creating generational wealth through homeownership has been and still is our focus.”

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Women’s History Month

This year’s Women’s History Month celebrates women who advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. HomeSight asked the women on its leadership team how they are working toward this goal.

Sekai Senwosret

Today, we asked Director of Resource Development Sekai Senwosret how her department advocates for DEI.

As the Director of Resource Development, my job is to ensure we’re not only talking about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – but living it. We partner with funders who show real dedication to these principles. Our fundraising is clear: our mission is rooted in creating equitable opportunities for homeownership. It’s not just about finding partners who agree with us, but those who put their money where their mouth is. This commitment is key to making lasting change for the people we help. I’m proud to be part of an organization that truly makes DEI+B part of its identity in every action we take.

Q: What challenges lie ahead, and how do you plan to tackle them?

A: The main challenge for our small Resource Development team is finding ways to bring in more funds without increasing our costs or team size. I’m looking into using technology to help with this. Fundraising platforms can handle many routine tasks, almost like an extra team member. My goal is to use these tools to keep us efficient but also maintain the personal connection that’s key to fundraising. It’s all about striking a balance between high-tech and high-touch.

Q: What is the most inspiring part of your work?

A: The most inspiring aspect of my job is knowing our daily efforts contribute to a larger cause—helping people achieve something they might not have thought possible, like owning a home. Even when it’s hard to see immediate results, I’m encouraged by the thought that right now, someone could be taking a significant step toward their dream because of our work. That’s the heart of it—making a real, positive difference in someone’s future.

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A: “I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I have been.” – A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

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HomeSight’s Affordable Housing Co-Op, U-lex @ Othello Square, Will Break Ground This Summer

Community-Led Project Will Bring 68 New Affordable Housing Units to Southeast Seattle

After years of planning and development at Othello Square, HomeSight will enter its final phase as it breaks ground this summer on its planned co-operative housing development, U-lex@Othello Square. Set next to the light rail station at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Holly Park Drive, U-lex will offer 68 units affordable to families earning 80 percent or less of the area median income at the time of purchase.

HomeSight is now inviting incomc-qualified applicants to apply and reserve a unit at U-lex@Othello Square on a first come, first served basis.

“Seattle needs affordable housing, now more than ever,” said HomeSight Executive Director Darryl Smith. “For too many Washington residents, even a so-called ‘starter house’ is too big a leap to get into the real estate market. With a co-op like U-lex, people can start building equity at a much lower price point than you’d find in this housing market. U-lex is creating the first few rungs on the ladder, so people can start the climb to the true financial stability homeowning allows.” 

The first buildings in the Othello complex now house the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a community-based health care provider, Verity Credit Union, Salish Sea Elementary School, and Tiny Tots Development, a provider of early childhood education.

U-lex’s five-story, mixed-use residential development will offer 25 one-bedroom units (650 sqf.), 35 two-bedroom units (860 sqf.), and 8 three-bedroom units (1015 sqf.). U-lex offers underground parking, bike storage, unit storage spaces, and each unit will be equipped with water- and energy- efficient fixtures and appliances. A large, multi-purpose area equipped with a kitchen will be connected to a central, outdoor courtyard, and sun decks and outdoor gardening opportunities will be available on the second and fourth floors.

 In addition to the income requirements, applicants must be first-time homebuyers or have not owned a home in the past three years. Preference will be given to southeast Seattle stakeholders: residents, former residents, and people who work or have connections there. Fifty percent of units are reserved exclusively for this community.

 “U-lex is an intentional anti-displacement tool,” said Uche Okezie, HomeSight’s Director of Real Estate Development. “Without planned growth through projects such as U-lex, the city risks losing the communities that make Seattle so unique.”

U-lex is spelled “ʔúləx̌” in Lushootseed, the language spoken by the Coast Salish people who originally lived on this land. Pronounced ‘OH-lew,’ ʔúləx̌ means “gather” in the Lushootseed language.

To learn more about U-lex, please visit the website or contact Pearl Nelson at pearl@homesightwa.org.

Ready to Find Your New Favorite Restaurant? Seattle’s Most Diverse Restaurant Promotion Week is Back and Bigger Than Ever in 2024!

13th Plate of Nations highlights the unmatched diversity of the Southeast Seattle food scene.

Between March 22 and April 7, Seattle foodies can embark on a two-week culinary world tour without leaving the city, as HomeSight’s Plate of Nations returns for its 13^th year of celebrating southeast Seattle’s diverse culinary scene.

The event, the most diverse of its kind in Seattle, features 50 independently owned restaurants and highlights the incredible cultural diversity in southeast Seattle, particularly along the Martin Luther King, Jr. corridor. Immigrants from around the world have settled in Rainier Valley and started businesses that provide cultural favorites for ethnic communities looking for a taste of home. Those restaurant owners are excited to welcome other customers to join in their traditions.

Participating restaurants span the globe from Laos to Ethiopia, and will offer special menu items, giveaways and prizes over the 12-day event. Customers can download a “passport” from the Plate of Nations website (or pick one up at any participating restaurant) to record their culinary trip around the world. When a diner reaches eight passport stamps, they win one of four prizes, including a private dining experience at one of our participating restaurants, and a secret recipe with ingredients.

“Southeast Seattle is so unique,” said HomeSight’s Community Development Director Sarah Valenta. “You can walk down the street and hear dozens of languages spoken. With so many cultures represented here, our food scene has choices from all over the world, and it’s all as authentic as you can possibly get.”

Visit www.plateofnations.com to learn more about participating restaurants, which include neighborhood favorites as well as brand-new establishments. Ready to find your new favorite nosh in Seattle? Join us at Plate of Nations!