LIHI celebrates Black History Month: Church partnerships on tiny house villages; Buildings that honor heroes.
- aaronl67
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
LIHI’s commitment to racial equality and justice is demonstrated year-round by our diverse board, staff, and clientele. We are proud of our partnerships with many African American churches in Seattle, Skyway and Tukwila. These churches have shown great vision and commitment to their missions in sponsoring tiny house villages and developing affordable housing on their land to address housing and homelessness needs in our communities.
We are also proud to have honored many Black heroes by naming our buildings after them. Please read about them in the second section below.
Partnerships with African American Churches
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
In 2015, Luthern Church of the Good Shepherd hosted and partnered with LIHI on Seattle's first officially sanctioned tiny house village. In 2022, they partnered with LIHI at the very same site (1415 22nd Ave in Seattle's Central Area) on Good Shepherd House, a seven-story, 86-unit building with 84 studio apartments providing permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless people.
True Vine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church
Former LIHI boardmember Rev Lawrence Willis has been a longtime supporter of tiny houses and youth construction apprenticeship programs. During his many years as pastor of True Vine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church, he and the congregation partnered with LIHI to sponsor True Hope, Southend, Henderson, Rosie's and Othello Villages.
In 2024, Rev Willis moved on to become pastor of New Direction Missionary Baptist Church. Additionally, his non-profit youth apprenticeship program LOVE-TO currently works with LIHI to build tiny houses.
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Under the leadership of Rev. Dr Robert Jeffrey Sr, New Hope Church has co-sponsored True Hope, Salmon Bay, Maple Leaf and Olympic Hills Villages, and partnered with LIHI in developing the upcoming 92-unit New Hope Family Housing at 114 and 123 - 21st Ave.
The Christ Spirit Church
Pastor Willie Seals (pictured) and The Christ Spirit Church have hosted the 24-tiny house T.C. Spirit Village at 612 22nd Ave in Seattle's Central Area since 2020. "We The Christ Spirit Church are our brother's keeper. We have been longtime advocates for ending homelessness, and this is an opportunity to continue in collaboration with LIHI and the City," said Rev. Seals.
Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ
In 2022, LIHI expanded it's tiny house program to include servind Tukwila. Miracle Temple Church of God stepped up to sponsor the 28 tiny house Miracle Village on church property at 14925 Interurban Ave, Tukwila.
“It is impossible to love God without loving people. We at the Miracle Temple COGIC are thrilled to host this tiny house village to serve God’s children who are unhoused in Tukwila. We are so grateful to the neighbors and volunteers, LIHI, City of Tukwila and King County for making Miracle Village possible, truly a miracle for our community.” said Pastor Henry Jenkins of Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ.
Seattle Word of God Church
Progressive Skyway Village, located at 12431 56th Pl S, Seattle, came to be thanks to the Seattle Word of God 's congregation and leadership. Minister Kathy Taylor, speaking at the village's opening in 2021, said, “We’ve had this land for 2 years, and we wanted to be able to be of service to the community. Until we get to the point where we are building our new church, we felt it necessary to be able to do something that would serve the community where we sit. And that’s what it’s all about. We are our brother’s keeper, we are our sister’s keeper.”
Rev. Curtis Taylor added, “The Bible tells us that how can you love God who you have not seen, and don’t love your brother who you see everyday. Part of that love is action. Since we’ve been blessed with this property, we found ourselves wanting to be a blessing and help somebody along the way. This is just the first phase of what our ultimate goal is, and that is to have low-income housing on the opposite side of this lot along with our Church.”
Church by the Side of the Road
LIHI's latest partnership is with Church by the Side of the Road. Thanks to Rev. Terrence Proctor and the congregation, the church is hosting Church by the Side of the Road Village in Tukwila, featuring 40 tiny houses. The village will open this month.
Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church
In 2013, before LIHI officially started its Tiny House Program, the Nickelsville homeless encampment was evicted from the it's two year stay on W. Marginal Way and was looking for a new home. LIHI, in partnership with faith sponsor and Central Area neighbor Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, sheltered 35 people, including 15 children for a year at 2020 S Jackson St. in proto-tiny houses and tents. The site was then developed into Abbey Lincoln Court, the beginning of LIHI's model of efficiently using land awaiting development as shelter sites.
Watch video produced by Steve Rowland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLaswXLSaas
LIHI Properties Honoring African American Heroes
A groundbreaking politician and shining star of the Washington Husky football teams of the late 50's and early 60's, George Fleming was Washington's first African American state senator. He was elected in 1971 and represented the 37th District of Southeast Seattle/Rainier Valley. He was the prime sponsor in the Senate for creating the state Housing Trust Fund in 1986, now a nationally recognized program. George also established the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) in 1983. And he established the Office of Minority & Women's Business Enterprise.
Senator Fleming, a proud UW Husky Business School graduate, also excelled as an athlete. The record-setting Fleming, star of the 1960 and ’61 Rose Bowls, (co-MVP of the ’60 game), went on to be named a Husky Legend, was inducted into the UW Hall of Fame and played several years in the NFL and CFL. In 2012, Fleming was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
In praising Fleming, Gov. Jay Inslee said. “George honed his leadership skills on the football field and took those lessons to help communities all over our state. His leadership in the state legislature to create more affordable housing and support for low-income people, has resulted in a legacy that impacts current and future generations.”
Tyree Scott was a Seattle civil rights and labor leader who broke down barriers to women and minority workers in the construction industry and also worked to improve working conditions for low-income workers around the world. Although a powerful force for change, he was known as “a quiet, gracious and personable man, totally lacking any capacity for self-inflation” and “more interested in results than rhetoric.” Tyree Scott was married to Beverly Sims who served on the LIHI board for many years. Read bio.
Gossett Place honors the legacy of longtime King County Council Chair and human rights champion Larry Gossett. Named as one of the most influential graduates of the University of Washington, Gossett worked tirelessly for the rights of people of color and disenfranchised populations. He was a founder of the Black Student Union at UW and for 14 years served as Executive Director of the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP). Read bio
Ernestine Anderson Place is named in honor of legendary jazz singer Ernestine Anderson, an international star from Seattle’s Central Area and graduate of Garfield High. In a career spanning more than five decades, she recorded over 30 albums. She was been nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She sang at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, as well as at jazz festivals all over the world. Read bio.
August Wilson Place is named in honor of famed African-American playwright August Wilson. Wilson's work includes a series of 10 plays, “The Pittsburgh Cycle,” for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes. Each play is set in a different decade, depicting aspects of African-Americans' experience in the 20th century. Wilson moved to Seattle in 1990 and lived here until his death in 2005 at the age of 60. The Seattle Repertory Theater produced many of his plays. August Wilson’s widow Constanza Romero and daughter Azula Carmen Wilson attended the opening. Read bio.
The Marion West is named for racial justice champion Marion West, who along with her husband Ray, who was Black, faced discrimination and helped break the color barrier in the U-District by housing African Americans and students of color in the 1950s. Read bio.
Located next to Ernestine Anderson Place, this building honors Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010), American jazz vocalist, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. A dramatic performer whose interpretations were full of truth and insight, Lincoln notably worked with Benny Carter and Max Roach (who she married). In 1960, she recorded Roach's civil rights jazz masterpiece, “We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.” She appeared on a number of TV shows, including Mission: Impossible and All in the Family, and in several films, including For Love of Ivy with Sidney Poitier and Beau Bridges, and Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues. Read bio.