Homestead Community Land Trust News

Ten and Thirty-Two (and counting)

By Sheldon Cooper

My daughter just turned 10 months old last week and is bursting with energy for life. It seems that every day she is acquiring new skills and capacities. The visible and audible joy she consistently expressed when seeing a cat has recently expanded to include dogs, favorite people, phones, cell phone chargers, coffee grinders and metro buses. Yesterday she was struggling to coordinate her arms and legs to produce an effective forward crawl, and today she charges around the room on all fours exploring every nook. Her brain synapses (so I’ve read) are developing at an exponential rate. It’s all her parents can do to keep up with her.   

In many ways, Homestead is in a similarly exciting growth phase.

We’re growing fast. We recently added our 32nd house to the land trust and have five more homes scheduled to be added in the next 6 weeks. At this pace, we’ll double our stock of affordable homes and the number of homes added to the land trust over year.

We’re planning for more growth. We’re almost finished with a business planning process that will guide our future growth, as we strive towards expanding our growth rate towards our eventual goal of adding 100 homes per year to the land trust.

We’re moving. We were outgrowing our old office space just as the building we were in was about to be redeveloped. Our new office at El Centro de la Raza on Beacon Hill gives us a bit of room to grow. We’ll be holding an open house to show off our new office space on September 10, 2008 from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. Come by and say hello.

We’re growing up. Holding our first fundraising event (our successful Dinner Auction June 20th), launching our new computer server for safely and securely storing Homestead electronic files, and soon advertising to hire an additional staff person to help us cover our expanding work load, Homestead is laying down the foundation to support future growth.

My role as new parent and director of Homestead keeps me on my toes. I’m excited to see what new phases and capacity will begin to reveal itself as we grow and change throughout this key juncture in our organizational history.

If you're interested in seeing the locations of all current Homestead homes, here is a map showing the homes and condos in the land trust.

Homeowner Story

By Ezra Basom, Homestead Homeowner #24

I grew up in Seattle, coming of age in the early nineties, and with my own maturity, the city grew up alongside me.  That cute street on Queen Anne, where my mom still lives, is a microcosm of what’s happened in Seattle.  Where small houses were torn down to make way for large houses, and the reasonably priced bungalows, once the homes for middle incomes, now suitable for those making six figures. 

Working for the past decade in the civic sector hasn’t put me on a track for big money.  I’m making a good living working for a non-profit, but my modest salary is laughable when it comes to even imagining owning a house.  It is within this context that I can tell so many people with pride about this tax-payer assisted program, that has enabled me to buy a house of my own, and where my home, should I ever move, will be permanent affordable housing forever.  When folks I talk to learn that Homestead is just getting its wings, there’s a surprise that it’s not the poster child for politicians eager to solve our affordable housing crisis.

Four years ago, after getting divorced, I found myself renting a small basement apartment, for myself and my kids, who live with me for half of each week.  I didn’t know that I would stay there four years.  With young children, and the years going by, the idea of having a place, where we could live with comfort and put down some roots in a neighborhood felt so appealing, even if unattainable. 

When you’re twenty and you’re going to the community college, life is elastic.  You can move from place to place or even city to city.  Life is such a contrast when more than a decade goes by, and you’ve got two kids on the line.  Life is different when you want to start living in the present, and where you’re tired of spending your days hoping for something better in the future.  Having a place to call home is so much about that.  I don’t need to tell you that I kissed that dream goodbye – just like most people living in this city, who are too young and too poor to have caught the housing bubble while it swallowed Seattle.

At the suggestion of a friend, I attended the Homestead orientation.  I had managed to keep my credit intact, and was slowly building a modest savings.  With rent for a decent two bedroom around town averaging from steep to downright depressing, the idea of owning my own condo or townhouse took hold for me. Once I saw what I’d be saving in my mortgage payments with the combined grant from the City of Seattle and Washington State, factored in, and the mortgage being 30 year fixed, and not some slippery hands deal, I felt hopeful that for me I didn’t need to feel excluded from the city where I live and happen to have pretty much always called home.

So we’re all settled in now.  I bought a beautiful built green townhouse in the redeveloped Rainier Vista neighborhood, just blocks from the new Light Rail mass transit system and a short bike ride to Columbia City.  My boys and I love the neighborhood, designed with great urban design and in such a family friendly way.  The emotions of buying a house and moving in are hard to describe.  I think for me, having moved around so much as an adult, the idea that I could live in this house for the rest of my life is hard to understand.  But there is also a feeling of stability, knowing that this home is mine and even if I never make a lot of money, when I’m older, it will be paid off and I will have the security of having a home. 

I think home ownership has meaning when economic security can so easily slip through our fingers.  I don’t need to feel like a failure because I’ve chosen to work in an arena where my life has a focus on the community, and where I just don’t make a lot of money.  Seattle has largely become a city without much opportunity left for those between the wealthy and the poor.  Lucky for me Homestead is a program that bridges that gap, and because of that, I can feel part of this city, not through memories from a city long gone, but as an adult, living here now.

Homeownership Program Update

By Laura Evans

We have starting holding Advantage Program Orientations in Spanish!  Attending an orientation is the first step towards Community Land Trust homeownership.  The first session in Spanish will be held at St. James Place in White Center and the next one at El Centro de La Raza on Beacon Hill.  Please stay tuned for dates and times and tell your friends.

Ahora nosotros ofrecemos nuestra orientación Advantage en español.  Teniendo en cuenta que una orientación es el primer paso para poder comprar una casa con nuestro programa, la ofrecemos en español.  La primera orientación la daremos en St. James Place en White Center y la siguiente orientación en Centro de la Raza en Beacon Hill.  Por favor estén atentos a los horarios y avísenles a sus amigos.

A well deserved congratulations to our newest Homestead Homeowners.  We have seen such perseverance and heart in recent months - you have inspired us all.  Congratulation to Coung, Loi, Kendra, Susan, Ahmed, Safiyo, Tom, Catherine and Justin.    We hope you are happy in your homes and thank you for your help in keeping our city affordable.   

The White Center community now has its first Community Land Trust home!   Just blocks from the neighborhood's business district, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is the newest addition to Homestead's portfolio.  The family who purchased the home had been renting just a half mile away and are now homeowners in their community.   Stay tuned for their story.

1st Annual Celebration & Auction

We had a great time at Homestead's 1st Annual Auction & Celebration and were glad so many of you were able to join us to celebrate! With the help from our supporters, we were able to exceed our fundraising goal of $32,000 and we raised $35,215!

Thank you to our generous sponsors who provided funding to underwrite the festivities so that every dollar raised at the event went directly to supporting programs and services:

Premier Home & Hearth Sponsor

HomeStreet Bank

Community Framers Sponsors

Riddell Williams, P.S.

Washington Mutual Bank

Trade Printery

Patrons of Affordability Sponsor

KeyBank

Special Event Sponsors

Northwest Community Land Trust Coalition
White Center Community Development Association
Windfall Winery

Congratulations to The Tenants Union of Washington State, who received the 2008 Esther "Little Dove" John Community Leadership Award, presented by Esther "Little Dove" John and Representative Eric Pettigrew!  We were thrilled to see so many Tenants Union members and organizers at the event.

Special thanks to Len Davis and LiveHistory.net for your time and talent in creating an informative video about our organization.  You can visit our website at www.homesteadclt.org to view the video.

Homestead Community Land Trust is working to create a systemic solution to the lack of affordable housing in Seattle and South King County-we can be successful in this work with friends in the community like you!

Thank you again so much for all you do to support Homestead and for your help in creating and preserving permanently affordable housing in our community!  If you were not able to join us in celebration and would like to make a contribution to Homestead, click here to make your tax deductible donation today! 

Homestead Board of Delegates Nominations

With Homestead’s Annual membership meeting approaching, we wanted to reach out to you and let you know that we currently have open volunteer positions for Board members in three categories: Community-At-Large, General Member and Leasing Member (Homestead Waiting List and/or Homeowner) positions.

Homestead’s Board is comprised of 9 members.  The Board includes equal numbers of three types of board members— members who own homes on Homestead land, general Homestead members, and those representing the broader community at-large.  In this way, governance of the organization is structured to represent homeowners, members and the community as a whole. 

Board members are voted into service through Homestead’s General Membership for staggered 3-year terms and are responsible to set organizational priorities and make policy decisions, approve the annual operating budget, develop and steward organizational resources, and evaluate recommendations of Homestead committees. 
 
The commitment level of a Homestead board member is: 

• Attend Homestead’s monthly board meetings (second Wednesdays of each month from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM)  Child Care is available   
• Participate in Homestead’s work in a way that works for you outside of monthly board meetings (examples of this participation could include serving on one of Homestead’s committees)
• Participates in fundraising
• 3-year Board term
• Approximately 5 hours per month time commitment

If you are interested in serving on the board, please contact Sheldon Cooper at 206.323.1227, ext. 113 or sheldon@homesteadclt.org and he will provide you with a board application and discuss the nomination process. 

Save the Date! Homestead Membership Meeting!

Come and join us in community at Homestead’s 2008 Annual Membership Meeting.   It will be a fun evening at the Central District’s own Central Cinema with wine and a light fare, community building, membership activities and voting. 

The event will be held:

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Central Cinema
1411 21st Avenue
Seattle WA 98122

This year we are pleased to present the first Ryan Neff Affordable Housing Award to Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County.  Please join us to honor them!

Homestead Community Land Trust’s members and supporters help us accomplish a vital mission in our community and keep homes affordable for generations. 

Please contact us if you would like to help with the following:

□ Volunteer at the event with set up and coordination
□ Help promote Homestead membership in our community

Voting to elect the 2008-2009 Homestead Board Members will occur toward the end of the evening.

There is no cost to attend.  For more information about the event, please contact Kristin Bolken at 206.323.1227 or kristin@homesteadclt.org.

Thank You Washington Mutual Bank!

Washington Mutual Bank provided a leadership grant of $45,000 to Homestead for 2008 to continue to grow and expand its work in support of first time homebuyers.

Washington Mutual has a long legacy of making the communities they serve better places to live, work and do business.  Washington Mutual has continued to be an integral part of Homestead’s success with its first investment in 2001.

"Washington Mutual Bank is pleased to partner with an organization that provides great value to our community and we hope our contribution will assist you in continuing to provide great services," said Paula Mahoney, Community Affairs Relationship Manager.

Thank you, Washington Mutual, for your legacy of supporting Homestead homeowners!

Homestead's Office has Moved

Homestead Community Land Trust moved to its new office space on Saturday, August 16th.

We had outgrown our Spruce Street office in the Central District just as the building was being prepared for redevelopment.  We are excited to join other Seattle non-profit partners at our new office space located in the El Centro de la Raza building on Beacon Hill.

Please join us for an Open House at our new office on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

A special thank you to all the generous volunteers who helped us move and set up our new office space!

Rebecca Andrews
Doug Bolken
Homestead Staff:  Kristin Bolken, Laura Evans & Sheldon Cooper
Esther “Little Dove” John
Scott McClay
Mark Moupoux
Scott Olmsted
Drew Paxton
Dee Taylor
Frank Video
Adam Wiener

Homestead's New Office Location

2524 16th Avenue South, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98144

Homeowners Save the Date!

Attention Homestead Homeowners! Please save the date on Saturday, September 13th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a potluck at Jane Fairchild's (Homestead Homeowner #8) house.  Jane will be sending you an invitation with more details in the next couple of weeks.

If you have any questions or would like to help out, please contact Laura Evans, Homeownership Program Manager at 206.323.1227, ext. 111 or laura@homesteadclt.org.