LIHI Celebrates Rosie's Tiny House Village Grand Opening and Seattle Pride!

Rosie's Tiny House Village Grand Opening

On July 2nd, a community celebration was held to mark the grand re-opening of Rosie’s Village. The original village was situated in the University District on Sound Transit property at the corner of 45th and Roosevelt Way NE, which is currently being developed by LIHI into affordable housing. The new village features 37 tiny houses and is located in North Seattle at 12201 Aurora Ave N. It is conveniently situated near the Rapid Ride E and is near various shopping options, amenities, and services, including the Bitter Lake Community Center and UW Medical Center. The village is operated by LIHI, with Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church serving as the faith sponsor.

Speakers at the opening included a blessing from Reverend Lawrence Willis, pastor of Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church; Melinda Nichols, LIHI Board President; Nikkole Scott, the Program Performance Manager at KCRHA; Chris Klaeyson, the Division Director of Homelessness at Seattle's Human Services Department; David Means, Sound Foundations NW Board President; Victoria Kent, LIHI Director of Supportive Services; and Donna Anderson, LIHI Regional Shelter Program Manager.

“It’s an honor to be able to be here today. I have been working with LIHI and building tiny house villages for about fifteen years” said Reverend Lawrence Willis. “I have always wanted to be a part of building up the community, touching those that are less fortunate because it’s not hard work, it’s heart work”. 

“At KCRHA, we are proud to partner with LIHI in creative, innovative, and compassionate solutions to one of our region’s most pressing challenges, which is homelessness. The 2024, King County Point-In-Time count identified nearly 17,000 individuals experiencing homelessness across our region. That’s a 26% increase since 2022. A sobering reminder to the scale and the urgency of this crisis” said Nikkole Scott, KCRHA. “We cannot and must not normalize this level of suffering. We must respond with both heart and strategy. That’s exactly what Rosie’s Village resonates.”

“This project embodies Mayor Bruce Harrell’s One Seattle approach in commitment to addressing one of our toughest challenges, which is homelessness. By bringing together a diverse group of partners to keep vital shelters open while also making room for new affordable housing. As we further align resources with the needs of the communities, we are also investing in two new tiny house villages that are scheduled to be opened later this year with LIHI. We cannot wait to add new shelter units to our support system” said Chris Klaeyson, Division Director of Homelessness at Seattle's Human Services Department.

Rosie’s Village operates as an enhanced 24/7 shelter, providing a sense of community and a pathway to permanent housing for approximately 40 to 50 individuals. All participants receive assistance with obtaining identification, applying for income support, and navigating housing, employment, healthcare, and other supportive services. Clients are expected to follow a code of conduct and are referred to the program by the City of Seattle’s Unified Care Team.

LIHI has established a Community Advisory Council (CAC) consisting of local residents, business owners, faith leaders, and community representatives to meet monthly and provide community input and oversight for the village. These meetings will be open to the public. For more information about the village or the CAC, reach out to Marta Kidane at marta.kidane@lihi.org. 

The majority of the tiny houses on the site were constructed by volunteers from Sound Foundations NW. LOVE-TO built two of the tiny houses, while 21 Million constructed the multi-purpose room. Portable Storage Northwest delivered and placed the structures. LIHI brought utilities to the site, designed and developed the village which includes a community kitchen, entrance pavilion, bathrooms, laundry room, case management offices, smoking gazebo, picnic area, accessible ramps, security fence and parking. 

LIHI in the Seattle Pride Parade

On June 29th, LIHI participated in Seattle’s 51st annual Pride Parade. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, with nearly 300,000 participants dressed in all colors of the rainbow. This year's theme, “Louder,” is a callout of the national shift towards anti-trans and anti-LGBTIQ+ policies. The sights and sounds of the event resonated throughout Seattle, demonstrating that when everyone gets louder together, it fosters a sense of unity.

As “Our House” by Madness and other songs echoed around us, LIHI’s famous rainbow tiny house was paraded through Downtown Seattle. LIHI staff, Board members, and friends walked with pride, engaging with the crowd, and cheering for our community members. As the song says, “Our house, in the middle of our street. Our house, it has a crowd.” We will stand up, speak up, and we will get louder.