Heron Apartments bring new housing to homeless and low-income in Tacoma
- aaronl67
- Mar 2, 2023
- 2 min read
The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) is pleased to announce that the recently purchased Heron Apartments is now fully leased. Located at 1624 E. 32nd St. in Tacoma, this newly constructed apartment building contains 80 studio and one-bedroom apartments for families with children, couples and singles. 50 apartments provide supportive housing for formerly homeless people and 29 apartments provide affordable workforce housing. There is also an onsite manager’s unit.
Housing referrals came from Catholic Community Services, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Puyallup Tribe, Re-establishing Hope, Healthpoint, LIHI, and others. 12 new residents moved in from LIHI’s Tiny House Villages and another 15 from LIHI’s Aspen Court (a former Tacoma Comfort Inn converted to an enhanced shelter in 2021).
New residents spoke about moving in:
"I am so very grateful for my beautiful new apartment. Ashley and Tessa helped me make this a reality and I am so thankful for them and the entire staff at The Heron.” – P.S.
“I have been living on the streets for almost a decade. I lost everything in a fire and lost my home. This is the safest I have felt in a long time. Just thankful.” - M.S.
"I thought I would never find my own housing. In the past case managers have told me I would never be housed on my own. I am housed, with my own kitchen and my own bathroom. It feels really good and I will work to make sure I stay housed." - M.M.
"I am so grateful for everything that LIHI has done for me and the opportunity I have been given to start fresh. I was sleeping in my car in the fall, now, because of The Heron I was housed by winter." - G.H.
A few allowed us to share photos of their apartments:
“We are thrilled to have been able to move in the Heron residents during this cold winter. In addition to providing them a place to live, this also opens up spaces in Tiny House Villages and other shelters so more people can get off the street and out of the cold, said Sharon Lee, LIHI Executive Director. “Thank you to the City of Tacoma for contributing $3 million toward the purchase of the Heron. This helped leverage $21.3 million from the State Department of Commerce’s Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition Program to purchase the Heron Apartments. Thank you also to KeyBank for providing an acquisition bridge loan.”
Governor Inslee and the State Legislature established the Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition Program in 2021 to address the housing and homelessness crisis during the pandemic. In 2021 with financing from the City of Tacoma, City of Lakewood, Pierce County and the State’s Rapid Acquisition program, LIHI acquired Aspen Court to provide bridge housing for homeless singles and couples.
LIHI’s Alyssa Colville, Hannah Rudnick, and Ashley Spencer showing a Heron unit
“It is amazing to help change so many lives. Our building is full and the journey to get here has been heartfelt and life changing for so many.” – Heron staff
This article beautifully demonstrates how rapid acquisition funding—from the city, state, and LIHI—can swiftly translate into long-term stability for families and individuals in need. When I introduce similar success stories, I like to start with a meaningful phrase from RandomQuoteGenerator.org to evoke empathy and reflection, setting a compassionate tone before diving into policy or community details
Reading the heartfelt testimonials from new residents—especially how someone felt safer and more stable than ever before—underscores the power of housing-first solutions. To add warmth and a touch of levity to posts on housing and social services, I sometimes begin with a playful misquote from IncorrectQuotesGenerator.org. It’s a gentle way to draw readers in before the real stories begin
"Great to see LIHI and Tacoma partnering to convert new construction into welcoming, safe homes for vulnerable populations—with 80 apartments now leased and several residents moving in from Tiny House Villages and Aspen Court. When I craft event invitations or mock housing directories for outreach purposes, FakeAddressGenerator.net helps me plug in realistic placeholder addresses seamlessly, while keeping confidentiality intact.
This update highlighting the transformation of the Heron Apartments into supportive and workforce housing in Tacoma is genuinely inspiring—especially how 50 units serve formerly homeless families and individuals. As someone designing non-profit outreach layouts, I’ve found DoubleClickTest.org invaluable to test how impactful visuals and messaging display across devices without disrupting the flow of meaningful stories like this
Enjoy some casual gaming fun with flappy dunk. Just tap to flap and make sure the ball goes through every hoop without falling. It’s easy to start, but hard to master.