Sand Point Cottage Housing breaks ground! Sound Foundations NW builds 200th tiny home!

The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of Sand Point Cottage Housing located at 6343 NE 65th St. This 22-cottage development will serve singles, couples and families exiting homelessness. The project is expected to be completed in November.

LIHI is the owner/developer, the architect is Karen DeLucas Architecture and the contractor is Buchanan General Contracting. Six of the cottages were built in part by students in construction trade pre-apprenticeship programs, including the Seattle Skills Center at Ingraham High School, Rainier Beach High School, Rogers High School, Tulalip TERO Pre-apprenticeship Program, Marysville Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program, and the Seattle Sand Point Summer Construction Training Program run by LIHI. The plans originally called for students to build all the cottages, but this had to be curtailed due to pandemic restrictions.

Rendering by Karen DeLucas Architecture

Each cottage features one-bedroom, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, a loft and a front porch. The Community House features community living space and community kitchen, property management office, a bathroom and a laundry room. Extensive landscaping, gardens, children’s play space, pathways and parking complete the design. Sharon Lee, LIHI Executive Director said, "Sand Point Cottage Housing is an innovative program to provide attractive cottages in a beautiful park setting. I am thrilled that the State Housing Trust Fund is supporting permanent affordable housing on city-owned land in Magnuson Park for families, couples and singles who have been homeless. We appreciate the mayor and city council providing the long-term lease to make this cottage housing possible.” Seattle City Council Budget Chair Teresa Mosqueda said, “This innovative project is the result of strong partnership with our State partners, LIHI, construction trades pre-apprenticeship programs, and the City of Seattle to provide over 36 new neighbors with a warm, affordable place to call home. Through a long-term lease on the land to LIHI at a deep discount of $1 a year, this City-owned property will help provide critically needed low-income housing in the community, with a community garden and outdoor space, and common spaces to gather.” LIHI Board Vice President Melinda Nichols said, “Sand Point Cottages will demonstrate the value of a village setting and the viability of a green, low impact, nontraditional housing option. LIHI has developed over 700 tiny houses and building individual cottages with bathrooms and kitchens is a logical next step. We thank the Department of Commerce, City of Seattle, KeyBank, Lucky 7 Foundation, NeighborWorks America and other funders for the vision to make this project a reality.” The Community House was donated by the Lucky 7 Foundation. Extensive infrastructure work was required on this 84,500 SF site. The cottages average 450 SF. The construction contract is $5,167,000. Funding sources include the Washington State Housing Trust Fund, KeyBank, Enterprise, NeighborWorks America, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, and Lucky 7 Foundation. See KIRO coverage

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Sound Foundations NW

completes 200th tiny home!

Sound Foundation NW volunteers at LIHI's Hope Factory in Sodo

Barb Oliver, director of Sound Foundations NW reports, "MILESTONE DAY TODAY as we came together to build Glory, our 200th home! The average stay in a tiny home is 114 days, which means 3 people per year transition through each tiny home, built to last 20 years. That means in the lifetime of each home, up to 60 people will transition. Times 200 equals 12,000 PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS! Mind-blowing, isn't it?! The group pictured represents the hundreds and hundreds of huge-hearted volunteers that we have. I am so proud of all of you I could just burst!" LIHI thanks Barb and Sound Foundations NW for their amazing dedication to building homes for homeless people!